Falconry in KSA and the Arab world

[al-Hasani]

@al-Hasani When I see the trained falcons, I find their eyes shut/covered most of the times. Why is this so? (I find it a bit cruel on those magnificent birds)

To keep them calm as already mentioned because all falcons are predators and their eyesight is 10 times better than the human eyesight. They only wear that hood shortly before they are released from the falconers hand. This is so they avoid flying after other pray than the one intended.

Basically the purpose of leather head covering (hood) used on hawks and falcons is to hide the stimulus of the world from the bird's sight to calm it or prevent it from reacting to things.

See more here below:

Falconry Hood Information

 

[Indischer]

To keep them calm as already mentioned because all falcons are predators and their eyesight is 10 times better than the human eyesight. They only wear that hood shortly before they are released from the falconers hand. This is so they avoid flying after other pray than the intended.

Basically the purpose of leather head covering (hood) used on hawks and falcons is to hide the stimulus of the world from the bird's sight to calm it or prevent it from reacting out to things.

That's something which hadn't crossed my mind. Thanks mate!

 

[Capt P.H Young]

Actually the two short videos I posted about falconry deal with falconry in the UK as well. Falconry was popular in Europe, the Middle East and practically most of the world where falcons lived. For hunting, to keep them as pets and for prestige. Falcons to this very day are very expensive. There is a huge business. Like with horses etc. You should watch those two videos if it has any interest.

I have some very old and valuable coins too that I have been given by my grandfather but I am not a collector by any means. If I had a few millions I would collect art or something as valuable though.

The coins I found were not very valuable, mostly George 2nd or 3rd but I have found some silver William 3rd Sixpences and even some French coins the oldest a copper Turnoise of 1600 Henri 4th.. but my best find was none of these- a 14th Century silver finger ring which the Government Dept has emailed me saying it was an important find.. it will be valued in March by a committee but in UK it belongs to the Govt though they will give me its Market value which I will split 50/50 with the owner of the land I found it on. (sorry to digress) The Raptors we see flying wild here are mostly Buzzards, Red Kites, Kestrels and in the season March to September, Ospreys. I am a volunteer on the Osprey Tracking programme here and it is our second year fitting GPS trackers to the chicks just before they fledge. They migrate over 3000 miles, to Senegal and the Gambia every year from Scotland and back. This is this years chick being tagged in August.. and the bird in flight is her Mother the oldest Osprey in Europe (28) of course they only eat fish..

 

[al-Hasani]

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The coins I found were not very valuable, mostly George 2nd or 3rd but I have found some silver William 3rd Sixpences and even some French coins the oldest a copper Turnoise of 1600 Henri 4th.. but my best find was none of these- a 14th Century silver finger ring which the Government Dept has emailed me saying it was an important find.. it will be valued in March by a committee but in UK it belongs to the Govt though they will give me its Market value which I will split 50/50 with the owner of the land I found it on. (sorry to digress) The Raptors we see flying wild here are mostly Buzzards, Red Kites, Kestrels and in the season March to September, Ospreys. I am a volunteer on the Osprey Tracking programme here and it is our second year fitting GPS trackers to the chicks just before they fledge. They migrate over 3000 miles, to Senegal and the Gambia every year from Scotland and back. This is this years chick being tagged in August.. and the bird in flight is her Mother the oldest Osprey in Europe (28) of course they only eat fish..

That is tremendously interesting. I wish you all the best in your errands. That's quite some findings indeed.

Thanks for that information.

Very beautiful photos. Is Scotland the best place in the UK for falconry in general and for wild birds?

EDIT: That's a very big Osprey there.

 

[Capt P.H Young]

That is tremendously interesting. I wish you all the best in your errands. That's quite some findings indeed.

Thanks for that information.

Very beautiful photos. Lovely osprey. Is Scotland the best place in the UK for falconry in general and for wild birds?

EDIT: That's a very big Osprey there.

There are quite a few Falconers in both Scotland and England, I know 2 in my area but they tend to do displays etc, demonstrating how they are used.. The Osprey we call 'Lady' has visited our reserve for 23 years, she is a big bird and the female is always bigger than the male, but Lady is quite big. Her mate who she paired with the last 2 years is only 5 years old so we call him the 'Toy Boy' Lol..This is my favourite shot of a 'legend' (3 books and a film written about her)

That is tremendously interesting. I wish you all the best in your errands. That's quite some findings indeed.

Thanks for that information.

Very beautiful photos. Is Scotland the best place in the UK for falconry in general and for wild birds?

EDIT: That's a very big Osprey there. I have seem them in Hijaz, KSA too.

Strange that they are only found in Northern Scotland in the UK according to this map.



Osprey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

No, there are large areas of England also. such as the Rutland Osprey project.. they are found world wide except Antarctica- some are Migratory, others not. Some great pics here Rutland Ospreys: Rutland Osprey Project Online

 

[al-Hasani]

There are quite a few Falconers in both Scotland and England, I know 2 in my area but they tend to do displays etc, demonstrating how they are used.. The Osprey we call 'Lady' has visited our reserve for 23 years, she is a big bird and the female is always bigger than the male, but Lady is quite big. Her mate who she paired with the last 2 years is only 5 years old so we call him the 'Toy Boy' Lol..This is my favourite shot of a 'legend' (3 books and a film written about her)

Aha. Not many then. In the Arab world, especially the Arabian Peninsula, Syria and some Arab countries in Northern Africa falconry is very popular. Do you happen to know if it is common for Ospreys to return to a certain place for so many consecutive years? LOL, quite a age gap there.
What kind of books are that and even a film?

Anyway I have seem Ospreys in Hijaz, KSA too.

Strange that they are only found in Northern Scotland in the UK according to this map.



Osprey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aha, nevermind. Saw that you edited your post and answered my question about the range of Ospreys in the UK.

 

[al-Hasani]

Here is an article about a 16 year old Saudi Arabian who caught an rare falcon in mountainous and wild areas of Hijaz and then sold it for $30.000 to a rich businessman. Not bad.

Falcon fetches teen age hunter $30,000 - Emirates 24/7

Some more areas where falconry is practiced in KSA


Riyadh Desert Saudi KSA Spring by Life-Style, on Flickr


الديسة by Desert نديم القهوة, on Flickr


وادي علقان - حقل Valley Aleghan- haqel by mosa3ad alshetwi, on Flickr


Saudi Arabia. Tabuk 2010 by © Saud AL-Jethli, Photo, on Flickr

Some rare bird caught in KSA (looks amazing)



Here below is an article about that catch.

Rare falcon-size bird caught in Saudi Arabia - Emirates 24/7

 

[Desertfalcon]

@al-Hasani, Thank you so much for posting the wonderful videos and stunning pictures of the birds and your country. Most Americans have no idea how beautiful the KSA is. I was stationed in the KSA during the 1980's, a couple of times, and made a few friends there that were falconers and got to go out with their birds. Falconry in America is not the cultural tradition that it is with many Arabs but it has a dedicated following. I live in southern Idaho and one of the great things about falconry here, and America in general, is the huge variety of game and in the west where I live, the tens of millions of acres of public lands to hunt on. I have only trapped my birds instead of buying them, as earlier posts attest to, can be very expensive. I generally only keep them during that year's hunting season and then return them to the wild and trap a new one for the next year. I have only intermewed (kept past the moult, for an additional year.) one falcon. Here is another picture of my tiercel Red-tailed bunny killer and his faithful dog-hunting partner and some hoods when a falconer buddy and I were out trapping American Prairie Falcons, (and caught the Gyr instead, that is my avatar! )...

 

[MarkusS]

al-Hasani, you ever saw the german Steinadler? Its our national bird and its simply awesome.

 

[Desertfalcon]

al-Hasani, you ever saw the german Steinadler? Its our national bird and its simply awesome.

...and Mexico's!

 

[MarkusS]

...and Mexico's!

thats not the same species. They just look similar.

 

[Chronos]

@Desertfalcon


How did your interest in falconry start?

 

[Desertfalcon]

thats not the same species. They just look similar.

Actually, they are. They are both classified as Aquila chrysaetos. I'm sure the European version is it's own sub-species but they are both 'Golden Eagles' in English. They are actually more common in the USA than our own Bald Eagle, our national symbol.

Steinadler – Wikipedia

Golden Eagle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

@Desertfalcon


How did your interest in falconry start?

I was born and raised in the western USA and have always hunted/fished and been an outdoorsman and been interested in animals and nature. My best friend when I was a teenager got into it first then he got me interested in it. In fact, he is still my best mate and falconry buddy today.

 

[Cherokee]

Watching a Falcon hunting a rabbit or something and bringing it back to to its handler is on my TO DO List along with watching "Saluki" hunting .

 

[Desertfalcon]

Watching a Falcon hunting a rabbit or something and bringing it back to to its handler is on my TO DO List along with watching "Saluki" hunting .

Unfortunately....they don't bring it back. You have to go get the prey away from your bird once they get it down. That is a skill, all on it's own.