Why falconry is important

Beautiful picture of my baby captured by our balloon pilot. Mike oberon falconrydubai hotairballoon royalshaheen balloonadventures gyrsakerfalcon mydubai?? A photo posted by Esmerie Van Aarde esmerie. Falcons need to be returned to the wild at the end of each hunting season to prevent the birds from becoming too domesticated. Some wildlife can be protected for the future in reserves. However, there is little pristine land left to reserve in most developed countries, and very few reserves large enough to hold viable raptor populations.

Most raptors and other wildlife must therefore share areas that are already changed by humans. To preserve diverse wild systems in these areas requires knowledge, skills and resources for management. Falconers have already contributed very widely to knowledge of wild raptor ecology and management.

No less important is the veterinary knowledge that falconers have accumulated over the centuries. The many publications by falconer-vets provide the basis for treatment and rehabilitation of many injured wild raptors each year, often in centres run by falconers. The Pro-Falcon Project for breeding falcons in Al Ain is just one of the leading project that aims to protect wild falcons around the world, to preserve wild falcon species and reduce the risks that endanger their lives due to hunting and their use in falconry while allowing them to reproduce.

The falconry season in the UAE and other Gulf countries will start in the Autumn, when falcons begin migrating to their breeding sites between October and March. The whole training process takes two to three months. Techniques like food deprivation are employed to make the bird more tamable and bond with the trainer. The training prepares the Falcon to dive down on the prey, attack them, and then carry the prey and take flight.

To do that, a feathered decoy resembling the prey is used. The trainer swings the decoy and trains the bird to chase it and swoop down on it. When the bird is ready, live prey is used. Other than for the training purpose, GPS helps locate and identify the bird if it is lost. Good falcons are a prized possession and can cost quite a lot—especially Rare peregrine falcons, which can easily fetch a few million dirhams.

These days, falcons are mostly used for sporting events. These events are so popular among the Arabs. So much so that a typical racing falcon sells for over , UAE dirhams. There are two types of falconry sports. One of them involves a trainer swinging a prey, letting the falcon fly in circles around him, and chase the prey down.

It is enthralling to watch the bird flying at the top of its speed, swiftly changing direction following the lure. And when the falcon finally chases down the prey, the trainer appreciates the bird and let the bird eat it. This is often called the shotgun falconry. We all know how popular are horse races in Dubai.