Falconry

My project topic is about falconry. As I did my research, I realized that falconry is a lot more complicated then I expected; it takes time and effort. As my essay continues I will tell you about the kind of equipment needed, the kind of equipment needed, the process of becoming a falconer and about training the falcon, hawk, or other birds of prey. Ill also tell you how to care for falcons, and about the history of falconry. By now you probably want to know what falconry even is. So, Ill start by telling you that falconry is the sport of catching and hunting with a bird of prey also called raptors. Falconers work mostly with falcons and hawks but can also work with other birds of prey such as owls. Falconers work with three stages of birds, an eyass, a young bird taken from the nest before its ready to fly, a passenger taken within first year, and a haggard is an older bird (illegal to catch during mating age). Theres a process of becoming a falconer. First thing you need to do is research. Once you have completed this you can move on to the test. To be able to do well on this test you should know about different gaming birds and there stages of life. You need to know the characteristics, prey care, feeding, and suitability for falconer. You should also know the hunting environment for different birds, the
Emily Woolsey

rules and regulations, and how to use the equipment. A little medical knowledge is good to if your bird gets if injured or sick. On this test you are required to get a score 80% or above to pass, the test is 100 questions long. To become an apprentice falconer you first have to pay a fee. An apprentice is generally limited to two types of birds: The American Kestrel, which is a falcon and the Red Tail Hawk and the apprentice must be at least 14 years old. When you start out you are also only allowed to have one bird at a time. You must keep your bird for at least 12 months before you are allowed to trade it in. After two years of being and apprentice you can move up to the General Class in which you are allowed almost every raptor type. After five years in General Class you can me a Master Falconer. This level allows you to have up to three falcons and take an apprentice yourself. You must have some very special equipment in order to get started in falconry. You must have a hood to cover the birds eyes to help keep the bird calm during its first stages of captivity. You will also need bells or a telemetry device or transmitter to locate your bird if it gets lost during free-flight. The bells or transmitter are connected to short leather strips called bewits and are then attached to the birds ankle. In most countries they require an identifying band, but not all countries require this. You will also need jesses which are two leather strips that are connected to the ankles and used for

grabbing on to when the bird lands on your hand. One of the most important pieces of equipment is the glove or gauntlets. When you wear these you turn your hand into a suitable perching place for the birds. Another reason is birds of prey, when they land, can grip your hand with a force that can be painful. There are multiple kinds of gloves; the most common only covers the fist and the wrist. You can purchase others that cover the fist, wrist, elbow and chest. These are most commonly used for only the largest raptors. The swivel is a tool that keeps things from getting tangled and twisted when the bird is active and not flying. The last thing you will need is a creance which is a light weight line tied to the jesses or the swivel and is used during training of the bird to fly between the perch and your hand. Training is a long process as it takes time for the bird to get used to being in captivity. This training starts with catching a bird. Once you catch the bird you will start by trying to get them to eat small portions of food, maybe just a thumbnail size piece to start with. Once you get them to take the first bite they will realize that they are hungry and start to eat better. This process takes from one to two days for smaller birds and from one to three days for larger birds. Once they eat the first pieces of meat you can start moving the pieces of meat closer to your glove and the bird will begin to lose its fear of man and start to realize that they are safer with you than in the wild.

The next step is to practice flying. You will tie the creances to the jesses or swivel and start the first practice inside. Put the bird on a perch and start to walk away from it. Now you hold the food between your thumb and your forefinger, once the bird sees the food it will fly to you. After doing this multiple times you can start free flight. Free flight is where you attach bells to your bird or the transmitter you can let the bird fly on its own; it should come back to you. If your bird doesnt come to you, dont panic that is what the transmitter and bells are for. The bells you can hear from great distances, and the transmitter connects to a device you will have with you. Now for a little history, Falconry started around 2000 BC, but faded between the 17th and 18th centuries, when firearms became the choice for hunting. Fun Facts! o The falcon was a symbol for the Mongol tribes. o De arte ven andi cum avibus means the art of hunting with birds.