Falconry in KSA and the Arab world
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It’s time to catch falcons
ARAB PASSION: Sometimes a live pigeon is offered as bait to a wild falcon. The raptor is caught at the end of the hunt when it is exhausted. (SPA)
ARAB PASSION: Sometimes a live pigeon is offered as bait to a wild falcon. The raptor is caught at the end of the hunt when it is exhausted. (SPA)
JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS
Published — Sunday 26 October 2014
Last update 26 October 2014 12:23 am
Hammad desert is the most sought-after location for falcon hunters in the Kingdom and Gulf countries. The hunters make a beeline for the desert located 100 km west of Arar city in the Northern Border province during the month of September every year when the hunting season opens. The month is marked with the arrival of large numbers of falcons including highly-priced varieties.
Falcons have been a passion for the people of the Arabian Peninsula since time immemorial. It is during the month of September that falcon lovers make their trips to the virgin desert looking for the rare varieties of the bird that make a stop over in the deep desert in the middle of their annual migratory journey. The Hammad desert is close to Hazm Al-Galameed town in the northern part of the Kingdom.
The price of a single bird of the rare varieties which are called by names such as Safi (Pure), Ashaal (Fiery), Fatih (light), Abyad (White), Farisi (Persian), and Sinjari have a starting price of SR315,000, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The falcon hunters strike up their tents deep in the desert where it is extremely cold during the night. They carry water and other rations to to sustain them in the desert for several days. They also have with them the latest positioning devices so as not to lose their way.
They sit around a fire close to the tents in the biting cold and narrate their past exploits in falcon hunting while sipping the simmering coffee. Arab passion for falcons is so deep-seated that some poets compose elegies to commemorate their lost bird. Poet Muhammad Al-Lamee recited a sad poem about the grief and anguish he has been suffering since he lost his bird Arqat on a nocturnal gathering of falconers in the desert. Falconers take special care to only go to locations where hunting is permitted.
They never resort to the indiscriminate killing of wild fauna or enter wild life sanctuaries to hunt down the animals for fear of the extinction of any kind of animal or bird. A veteran falconer in the Northern Border Province, Daham Al-Anazi, said the hunting season of the migratory bird starts on Sept. 1 and lasts until the beginning of the winter. He added that falconers come to Hammad to hunt several varieties of the bird including the Harr, a breed that is in high demand because of its beautiful feathers that can grow up to a span of 17 inches. Falconers require intense training before they can hunt. A hunting team has been known to have hunted six falcons in a single day.
Regarding the hunting techniques adopted by the hunters, falconer Tayyeb Hamoud said a traditional method is to fit a net to the back of a pigeon as bait and keep it ready for the falcons passing by early in the morning. Quails with similar nets and tied to some heavy objects are also used to catch the prized birds, he said.
Another method used to catch falcons that refuse to fall into the traps of pigeons or quails is to offer pigeons directly to the falcon without any net. Then the hunter follows the bird until it is tired and catches it while it rests in the shadows of a shrub. Some people hunt them at night using a metal net in the form of a cylinder-shaped basket after blinding the bird by aiming a strong beam into its eyes.
Another experienced hunter said most of the falcons pass out shortly after being hunted but a little sprinkle of water revives them.
The price of a falcon is determined by its speed, ability to hunt bustards, shortness of shanks, symmetry of the beaks, and fast flutter of wings. Even falcons with a lifespan of 20 years can become weak after a period of only 12 years, according to an expert.
It’s time to catch falcons | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.
Al Bhatti
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October 28, 2014
Owners let their falcons free in a flying competition at the 2011 International Festival of Falconry in Al Ain.
500 falconers from 80 countries swoop on Abu Dhabi
More than 500 falconers from 80 countries will descend on Abu Dhabi next month to take part in what is considered the biggest gathering in the history of the sport.
The International Festivals of Falconry, which will take place alongside the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Abu Dhabi begins at the Falconers’ Camp in Hamim, Al Gharbia, on December 7 where falconers will spend three days practising hunting prey with their birds.
After the first three days in Al Gharbia the festival will move to Al Forsan International Sports Resort in Khalifa City, where it will be open to the public.
Visitors will be able to view the birds of prey paraded by falconers dressed in their national dress and raising their country’s flag.
500 falconers from 80 countries swoop on Abu Dhabi | The National
-----------------------------
October 9, 2014
Jim Robison, left, and Mohammed Al Kamda, are business partners and friends united in their love of falconry.
Both men breed ‘pure’ white gyrfalcons.
An Emirati-American friendship forged by falconry
In a country where falconers think they have seen it all, two friends are lifting the veil on some of the best-kept breeding secrets.
Although the International Festival of Falconry will be a great chance for international breeders to come together in Abu Dhabi in December and share ideas, breeding is still a business.
Like all businesses, knowledge means competitive advantage, says Mohammed Al Kamda, who runs a breeding project from his house in Dubai.
Although they run separate facilities, Mr Al Kamda and his friend, American breeder Jim Robison, both hope to impress the market with their pure white gyrfalcons.
One of the key processes they both use on their falcons is imprinting – which allows them to mentally programme their falcons from the time they are born.
“Among breeders, it’s a well-kept secret,” says Mr Al Kamda, an environmental specialist at Emirates Aluminium.
Putting birds in a chamber together is unpredictable, he says. “Maybe the male won’t copulate, maybe the female won’t lay an egg. You might wait seven to eight years before you can breed. But, if you do it with the imprint method and the correct way of raising these falcons early on, you can get them to breed at two or three years old.”
Mr Al Kamda was born into falconry, a passion he inherited from his father. However, the 34-year-old has always yearned for more.
He started by studying the anatomy, biology and chemistry of birds, so he could treat his sick falcons himself. He then bought a microscope and set up a small laboratory in his house, which eventually grew.
Simultaneously, he decided to follow up his business degree by studying environmental science in the US; focusing on forest preservation, the desert, water and air pollution.
His falconry further evolved at the turn of the millennium, as he introduced more modern training methods such as using electric aeroplanes, helicopters and drones.
“To push the envelope even further, my target was to be able to breed my own falcons to become hunters,” he says.
When he was in the United States, he met Dr Charles Schwartz, who “was the first one to come to this region in 1984 and breed falcons”, says Mr Al Kamda.
Dr Schwartz was able to rise to the challenge of replicating the sunlight patterns of the falcons’ natural breeding grounds – something he passed on to his disciple, along with other tricks.
“His forward way of thinking in regards to imprint is second to nobody on the planet,” says Mr Al Kamda.
Although UAE residents today import more than 3,500 captivity-bred falcons per year, the Peregrine Fund – of which Dr Schwartz was a key member – began captive breeding of falcons in North America in the 1970s, in response to the potential extinction of peregrine falcons.
Mr Al Kamda would spend his holidays with Dr Schwartz, learning his breeding methods.
When Dr Schwartz retired for a quiet life of fishing, he introduced Mr Al Kamda to Jim Robison, a fellow breeder from the US.
“Jim is a very ambitious man because he’s been breeding birds for maybe 12 years. He wants to bring his white gyrfalcons over to the UAE, and I’m introducing people to his breeding project.”
Mr Robison’s own journey began in 1980 when he became a hawk owner for the first time. Three years later he trapped his first gyrfalcon, the largest breed of falcon.
An established hawk breeder since 2008, his GyrFarm in Illinois has one of the largest flight pens in North America.
Having been successful in the US, Mr Robison is looking to spread his wings and bring his brand of white gyrfalcons to the UAE.
Gyrfalcons come in a wide spectrum of colours, depending on where they breed. White gyrfalcons breed in Arctic and subarctic habitats, such as Alaska, Greenland and Siberia, while those found in Iceland and Denmark are very dark, and Icelandic gyrfalcons are grey.
Mr Al Kamda says: “The white ones are the most prized gyrfalcons to everyone – to Europe, to America and even in this region.
“Everyone wants a white gyrfalcon. Although, to be honest, performance-wise they do not vary.”
It is these white gyrfalcons that Mr Robison hopes to sell in the UAE, once he gains approval from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Mr Al Kamda encouraged Mr Robison to attend the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition last month, to show him what the country had to offer and, more importantly, show the country what Mr Robison has to offer.
Mr Robison enthuses: “This is the hub; this is the nucleus of the world – every falcon breeder in the world comes here. The States is young compared to here, very young. This is where falconry was born. It’s been going on for thousands and thousands of years.”
On top of falcon breeding, Mr Robison does have another passion to attend to. It is one he began in the 7th grade at school – wood carving. This was a talent Mr Al Kamda discovered “by accident”, but was adamant Mr Robison had to share with visitors to the exhibition.
On first glance, Jim Robison’s art appears to be taxidermy. But, upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that his sculptures are made of wood. Even the feathers.
The white-haired Mr Robison, father of a 12-year-old son, crafts lifelike dioramas and sculptures woodfowl; snapshots of nature in action.
From a pair of common pheasants fighting, to a falcon chasing after ducks, his work captures the ferocity, grace, fear and beauty of nature.
His basic 7th grade art project slowly evolved from duck decoys to the epic diorama pieces he does today – all of which are pre-commissioned and hosted in private or corporate art collections.
“Luckily it just kicked and I found a passion,” he reflects, then laughs: “Passions turn into obsession.”
And obsessions can take up a lot of time – sometimes Mr Robison works up to 20 hours a day, though an average day is six to 10 hours.
Crafting the pieces can take up to two years. However, it is well worth the effort. Even his smallest pieces sell for hundreds of thousands of US dollars. “It is a long process, but the neat thing about it is, it’s unique: no person in the world will have another one like this.
“The actual carving process goes fairly quick, a matter of months. But when you get it down to your final size, all these feathers are done individually, and inserted, sanded, bent and burnt to give the texture of a real feather.” With so many fine details to perfect, it is crucial that Mr Robison spends a lot of time “in the field”. Knowledge, he says, is 80 per cent of his craft.
“[Nature] can be cruel; it can be brutal actually,” he says. “But, like I say, on the other side of it, you see baby ducks or baby falcons hatch – and then you see the miracle of life.”
The UAE region is home to half of the world’s falconers, and when asked why people seem captivated by the birds of prey, Mr Robison explains: “I think they’re the ultimate creature. The powers of flight. They’re always intense, they’re driven, but still they can be gentle and passionate, and playful and fierce. They can be everything, and to be able to try to capture those milliseconds – that’s the art.”
What distinguishes the white gyrfalcons that both Mr Robison and Mr Al Kamda breed is that they are are “pure” – bred from two gyrfalcon parents. “When you’re doing hybrids you can produce more white falcons but they are not pure gyrfalcons,” says Mr Al Kamda.
He says the art of falcon breeding is well documented. “But, the reason the prices of these birds are so high is because people do not talk a lot about breeding, so they keep a lot to themselves.
“It’s competition, and people are starting to breed lighter or darker birds; and some colouration you will never find in the wild.”
However even among white gyrfalcons, Mr Al Kamda’s two falcons, born in June 2013, are unique because without hoods on they display Zen-like calmness. Hunting, for them, is not so much a hunt as a strategic military operation, as they swoop in as a team, sharing the spoils with one another.
This is the result of Mr Al Kamda’s use of imprinting. “The people out in the desert, when they see two white gyrfalcons hunting together, they are just mesmerised.”
Such behaviour, he adds, is not natural – falcons are solitary predators who hunt alone and drive one another from a kill.
“But the way these two have been raised, they actually work together, and the way to accomplish this is to make the falcons know that when they hunt, the other one gets fed as well, so the robbing process is eliminated from their whole growing-up cycle.”
The birds are bred through artificial insemination, which is more labour intensive than hoping chamber birds will breed naturally, but has a higher success rate.
However, it is difficult to simulate the ideal Arctic breeding conditions in the UAE, he says. Mr Al Kamda’s trick is to extend natural sunlight using artificial light for a few hours a day.
He will soon retire his two birds for the breeding project, which he hopes will grow in the next few years and introduce “something special” into the market.
Although this would technically make him and Mr Robison competitors, they are akin to Mr Al Kamda’s two falcons – happy to share the market.
An Emirati-American friendship forged by falconry | The National
Owners let their falcons free in a flying competition at the 2011 International Festival of Falconry in Al Ain.
500 falconers from 80 countries swoop on Abu Dhabi
More than 500 falconers from 80 countries will descend on Abu Dhabi next month to take part in what is considered the biggest gathering in the history of the sport.
The International Festivals of Falconry, which will take place alongside the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival in Abu Dhabi begins at the Falconers’ Camp in Hamim, Al Gharbia, on December 7 where falconers will spend three days practising hunting prey with their birds.
After the first three days in Al Gharbia the festival will move to Al Forsan International Sports Resort in Khalifa City, where it will be open to the public.
Visitors will be able to view the birds of prey paraded by falconers dressed in their national dress and raising their country’s flag.
500 falconers from 80 countries swoop on Abu Dhabi | The National
-----------------------------
October 9, 2014
Jim Robison, left, and Mohammed Al Kamda, are business partners and friends united in their love of falconry.
Both men breed ‘pure’ white gyrfalcons.
An Emirati-American friendship forged by falconry
In a country where falconers think they have seen it all, two friends are lifting the veil on some of the best-kept breeding secrets.
Although the International Festival of Falconry will be a great chance for international breeders to come together in Abu Dhabi in December and share ideas, breeding is still a business.
Like all businesses, knowledge means competitive advantage, says Mohammed Al Kamda, who runs a breeding project from his house in Dubai.
Although they run separate facilities, Mr Al Kamda and his friend, American breeder Jim Robison, both hope to impress the market with their pure white gyrfalcons.
One of the key processes they both use on their falcons is imprinting – which allows them to mentally programme their falcons from the time they are born.
“Among breeders, it’s a well-kept secret,” says Mr Al Kamda, an environmental specialist at Emirates Aluminium.
Putting birds in a chamber together is unpredictable, he says. “Maybe the male won’t copulate, maybe the female won’t lay an egg. You might wait seven to eight years before you can breed. But, if you do it with the imprint method and the correct way of raising these falcons early on, you can get them to breed at two or three years old.”
Mr Al Kamda was born into falconry, a passion he inherited from his father. However, the 34-year-old has always yearned for more.
He started by studying the anatomy, biology and chemistry of birds, so he could treat his sick falcons himself. He then bought a microscope and set up a small laboratory in his house, which eventually grew.
Simultaneously, he decided to follow up his business degree by studying environmental science in the US; focusing on forest preservation, the desert, water and air pollution.
His falconry further evolved at the turn of the millennium, as he introduced more modern training methods such as using electric aeroplanes, helicopters and drones.
“To push the envelope even further, my target was to be able to breed my own falcons to become hunters,” he says.
When he was in the United States, he met Dr Charles Schwartz, who “was the first one to come to this region in 1984 and breed falcons”, says Mr Al Kamda.
Dr Schwartz was able to rise to the challenge of replicating the sunlight patterns of the falcons’ natural breeding grounds – something he passed on to his disciple, along with other tricks.
“His forward way of thinking in regards to imprint is second to nobody on the planet,” says Mr Al Kamda.
Although UAE residents today import more than 3,500 captivity-bred falcons per year, the Peregrine Fund – of which Dr Schwartz was a key member – began captive breeding of falcons in North America in the 1970s, in response to the potential extinction of peregrine falcons.
Mr Al Kamda would spend his holidays with Dr Schwartz, learning his breeding methods.
When Dr Schwartz retired for a quiet life of fishing, he introduced Mr Al Kamda to Jim Robison, a fellow breeder from the US.
“Jim is a very ambitious man because he’s been breeding birds for maybe 12 years. He wants to bring his white gyrfalcons over to the UAE, and I’m introducing people to his breeding project.”
Mr Robison’s own journey began in 1980 when he became a hawk owner for the first time. Three years later he trapped his first gyrfalcon, the largest breed of falcon.
An established hawk breeder since 2008, his GyrFarm in Illinois has one of the largest flight pens in North America.
Having been successful in the US, Mr Robison is looking to spread his wings and bring his brand of white gyrfalcons to the UAE.
Gyrfalcons come in a wide spectrum of colours, depending on where they breed. White gyrfalcons breed in Arctic and subarctic habitats, such as Alaska, Greenland and Siberia, while those found in Iceland and Denmark are very dark, and Icelandic gyrfalcons are grey.
Mr Al Kamda says: “The white ones are the most prized gyrfalcons to everyone – to Europe, to America and even in this region.
“Everyone wants a white gyrfalcon. Although, to be honest, performance-wise they do not vary.”
It is these white gyrfalcons that Mr Robison hopes to sell in the UAE, once he gains approval from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Mr Al Kamda encouraged Mr Robison to attend the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition last month, to show him what the country had to offer and, more importantly, show the country what Mr Robison has to offer.
Mr Robison enthuses: “This is the hub; this is the nucleus of the world – every falcon breeder in the world comes here. The States is young compared to here, very young. This is where falconry was born. It’s been going on for thousands and thousands of years.”
On top of falcon breeding, Mr Robison does have another passion to attend to. It is one he began in the 7th grade at school – wood carving. This was a talent Mr Al Kamda discovered “by accident”, but was adamant Mr Robison had to share with visitors to the exhibition.
On first glance, Jim Robison’s art appears to be taxidermy. But, upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that his sculptures are made of wood. Even the feathers.
The white-haired Mr Robison, father of a 12-year-old son, crafts lifelike dioramas and sculptures woodfowl; snapshots of nature in action.
From a pair of common pheasants fighting, to a falcon chasing after ducks, his work captures the ferocity, grace, fear and beauty of nature.
His basic 7th grade art project slowly evolved from duck decoys to the epic diorama pieces he does today – all of which are pre-commissioned and hosted in private or corporate art collections.
“Luckily it just kicked and I found a passion,” he reflects, then laughs: “Passions turn into obsession.”
And obsessions can take up a lot of time – sometimes Mr Robison works up to 20 hours a day, though an average day is six to 10 hours.
Crafting the pieces can take up to two years. However, it is well worth the effort. Even his smallest pieces sell for hundreds of thousands of US dollars. “It is a long process, but the neat thing about it is, it’s unique: no person in the world will have another one like this.
“The actual carving process goes fairly quick, a matter of months. But when you get it down to your final size, all these feathers are done individually, and inserted, sanded, bent and burnt to give the texture of a real feather.” With so many fine details to perfect, it is crucial that Mr Robison spends a lot of time “in the field”. Knowledge, he says, is 80 per cent of his craft.
“[Nature] can be cruel; it can be brutal actually,” he says. “But, like I say, on the other side of it, you see baby ducks or baby falcons hatch – and then you see the miracle of life.”
The UAE region is home to half of the world’s falconers, and when asked why people seem captivated by the birds of prey, Mr Robison explains: “I think they’re the ultimate creature. The powers of flight. They’re always intense, they’re driven, but still they can be gentle and passionate, and playful and fierce. They can be everything, and to be able to try to capture those milliseconds – that’s the art.”
What distinguishes the white gyrfalcons that both Mr Robison and Mr Al Kamda breed is that they are are “pure” – bred from two gyrfalcon parents. “When you’re doing hybrids you can produce more white falcons but they are not pure gyrfalcons,” says Mr Al Kamda.
He says the art of falcon breeding is well documented. “But, the reason the prices of these birds are so high is because people do not talk a lot about breeding, so they keep a lot to themselves.
“It’s competition, and people are starting to breed lighter or darker birds; and some colouration you will never find in the wild.”
However even among white gyrfalcons, Mr Al Kamda’s two falcons, born in June 2013, are unique because without hoods on they display Zen-like calmness. Hunting, for them, is not so much a hunt as a strategic military operation, as they swoop in as a team, sharing the spoils with one another.
This is the result of Mr Al Kamda’s use of imprinting. “The people out in the desert, when they see two white gyrfalcons hunting together, they are just mesmerised.”
Such behaviour, he adds, is not natural – falcons are solitary predators who hunt alone and drive one another from a kill.
“But the way these two have been raised, they actually work together, and the way to accomplish this is to make the falcons know that when they hunt, the other one gets fed as well, so the robbing process is eliminated from their whole growing-up cycle.”
The birds are bred through artificial insemination, which is more labour intensive than hoping chamber birds will breed naturally, but has a higher success rate.
However, it is difficult to simulate the ideal Arctic breeding conditions in the UAE, he says. Mr Al Kamda’s trick is to extend natural sunlight using artificial light for a few hours a day.
He will soon retire his two birds for the breeding project, which he hopes will grow in the next few years and introduce “something special” into the market.
Although this would technically make him and Mr Robison competitors, they are akin to Mr Al Kamda’s two falcons – happy to share the market.
An Emirati-American friendship forged by falconry | The National
al-Hasani
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@Al Bhatti
When does the main hunting season in the UAE begin? Also what is the situation in terms of national parks in the UAE and bird wildlife? Do you guys have as many national parks as KSA and protected wild life areas? In terms of falconry UAE is doing an excellent job of hosting leading international gatherings (as you posted) and initiatives to protect them.
Also @Desertfalcon did you ever watch that documentary that I told you about in this thread? It's interesting because it was made in 1990 by an American that lived in KSA. Just like you so thought that maybe it was your work.
My current expression regarding that "mystery".
IMG_2861 by Laura_Williamson, on Flickr
Just kidding.
Here it is;
When does the main hunting season in the UAE begin? Also what is the situation in terms of national parks in the UAE and bird wildlife? Do you guys have as many national parks as KSA and protected wild life areas? In terms of falconry UAE is doing an excellent job of hosting leading international gatherings (as you posted) and initiatives to protect them.
Also @Desertfalcon did you ever watch that documentary that I told you about in this thread? It's interesting because it was made in 1990 by an American that lived in KSA. Just like you so thought that maybe it was your work.
My current expression regarding that "mystery".
Just kidding.
Here it is;
Last edited:
Al Bhatti
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International Festival of Falconry - مهرجان الصداقة الدولي للبيزرة | Falconry, the Living Heritage - الصقارة تراث حى
------------------------
11/12/2014
Third International Falconry Conference starts in Abu Dhabi
The third International Falconry Conference moved from the desert camp in Al Gharbia, the Western Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate, to Al Forsan Sport Resort in Abu Dhabi, along with 800 falconers from 80 countries that are taking part in this year's Falconry Festival and Conference.
Not only the location, but the topics of discussions have changed too, from mostly national accounts of historical facts of falconry to more global matters of falconry, starting with the UNESCO action plans for Falconry.
After a moment of silence in tribute to the memory of the late Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, who worked tirelessly to promote Emirati culture and heritage, and falconry, the Conference was opened by Majid Al Mansouri, Executive Director of the Emirates Falconers Club, one of the organisers of the Festival, alongside the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee.
"Falconry is very important to UAE because it goes to the depths of our culture; even the National emblem carries the image of a falcon," he said.
"Falconry had been practiced in Arabia for thousands of years, being not only a necessity, but a source of socialisation too. Today it has become a culture." The Falconry Conference is a representation of that culture and a form of preservation of falconry. It was started by Sheikh Zayed in 1976 and then revived in 2011, after falconry was inscribed on UNESCO's representative list for Intangible Cultural Heritage, a multi national initiative led by UAE.
"With 800 people from 80 countries, this is the biggest gathering of falconers in the world, and we are planning to hold it every three years," said Al Mansouri.
During The first day of the Conference, Italy, Pakistan and Kazakhstan announced their intention to join UAE and the other 13 nations signed up with UNESCO falconry cultural heritage list. Other nations expressed concerns that falconry is dieing in their country because hunting is prohibited.
"Hunting is only part of falconry! There is so much more to it, so many traditions tied to it. Ultimately, falconry is a message, a cultural symbol, a way to teach our children about this heritage," pointed out Dr. Awadh Saleh, chairman of the UNESCO Action Plans for Falconry.
Children were the first visitors to the International Falconry Festival, which opened on Thursday morning at Al Forsan Sport Resort in Abu Dhabi.
School bus after school bus pulled at the specially arranged public car park, just as the festival's souk and tents were opening up.
Most of them headed to the Family area, where stories of mighty falcons and hunters were told by Julia Anderson, author of falconry children books.
Nearby, in the Falconry Exhibition area, Hamad Al Ghanem, expert and breeder of Arabian Saluki dogs, brought a few of his best hounds, ready to tell visitors all about this other formidable hunters.
"Long ago, Saluki used to be hunting partners of falcons. They would chase rabbits, keeping them away from bushes, and the falcon will come and attack from the front," explained Al Ghanem.
In the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital tent, professional falconer Kludge Brommund was teaching visitors how to handle a falcon, while at the Al Ain Zoo tent workshops were carried out on bird nests making.
Throughout the day, falconers from many nations showed off their birds of prey training techniques in a specially set up arena.
Later in the afternoon, falconers from all 80 participating nations put on their national, traditional dress and marched in an impressive, colourful falconry parade.
The festival will continue until 13th December.
Third International Falconry Conference starts in Abu Dhabi | WAM
------------------------
11/12/2014
Third International Falconry Conference starts in Abu Dhabi
The third International Falconry Conference moved from the desert camp in Al Gharbia, the Western Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate, to Al Forsan Sport Resort in Abu Dhabi, along with 800 falconers from 80 countries that are taking part in this year's Falconry Festival and Conference.
Not only the location, but the topics of discussions have changed too, from mostly national accounts of historical facts of falconry to more global matters of falconry, starting with the UNESCO action plans for Falconry.
After a moment of silence in tribute to the memory of the late Mohammed Khalaf Al Mazrouei, who worked tirelessly to promote Emirati culture and heritage, and falconry, the Conference was opened by Majid Al Mansouri, Executive Director of the Emirates Falconers Club, one of the organisers of the Festival, alongside the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee.
"Falconry is very important to UAE because it goes to the depths of our culture; even the National emblem carries the image of a falcon," he said.
"Falconry had been practiced in Arabia for thousands of years, being not only a necessity, but a source of socialisation too. Today it has become a culture." The Falconry Conference is a representation of that culture and a form of preservation of falconry. It was started by Sheikh Zayed in 1976 and then revived in 2011, after falconry was inscribed on UNESCO's representative list for Intangible Cultural Heritage, a multi national initiative led by UAE.
"With 800 people from 80 countries, this is the biggest gathering of falconers in the world, and we are planning to hold it every three years," said Al Mansouri.
During The first day of the Conference, Italy, Pakistan and Kazakhstan announced their intention to join UAE and the other 13 nations signed up with UNESCO falconry cultural heritage list. Other nations expressed concerns that falconry is dieing in their country because hunting is prohibited.
"Hunting is only part of falconry! There is so much more to it, so many traditions tied to it. Ultimately, falconry is a message, a cultural symbol, a way to teach our children about this heritage," pointed out Dr. Awadh Saleh, chairman of the UNESCO Action Plans for Falconry.
Children were the first visitors to the International Falconry Festival, which opened on Thursday morning at Al Forsan Sport Resort in Abu Dhabi.
School bus after school bus pulled at the specially arranged public car park, just as the festival's souk and tents were opening up.
Most of them headed to the Family area, where stories of mighty falcons and hunters were told by Julia Anderson, author of falconry children books.
Nearby, in the Falconry Exhibition area, Hamad Al Ghanem, expert and breeder of Arabian Saluki dogs, brought a few of his best hounds, ready to tell visitors all about this other formidable hunters.
"Long ago, Saluki used to be hunting partners of falcons. They would chase rabbits, keeping them away from bushes, and the falcon will come and attack from the front," explained Al Ghanem.
In the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital tent, professional falconer Kludge Brommund was teaching visitors how to handle a falcon, while at the Al Ain Zoo tent workshops were carried out on bird nests making.
Throughout the day, falconers from many nations showed off their birds of prey training techniques in a specially set up arena.
Later in the afternoon, falconers from all 80 participating nations put on their national, traditional dress and marched in an impressive, colourful falconry parade.
The festival will continue until 13th December.
Third International Falconry Conference starts in Abu Dhabi | WAM
al-Hasani
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I would have loved to attend. Sadly exams in the way. If they just could have moved that festival to January instead. Well, there is always next year.
Looks very promising and with an interesting program as usual though. You should attend if you got the time Al Bhatti.
The late Sheikh Zayed during the 1st falconry conference back in 1976.
Ahmed Jo
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Animal Abuse !
-_-
al-Hasani
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More from the International Falconry Conference in UAE:
It ends tomorrow.
See more here below;
تراثنا (@Turathuna_ae) | Twitter
Bro, what is the situation in Jordan regarding falconry? I expect similar to nearby countries. Am I right?
It ends tomorrow.
See more here below;
تراثنا (@Turathuna_ae) | Twitter
Bro, what is the situation in Jordan regarding falconry? I expect similar to nearby countries. Am I right?
Ahmed Jo
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well, we have these kinds of falcons lolMore from the International Falconry Conference in UAE:
It ends tomorrow.
See more here below;
تراثنا (@Turathuna_ae) | Twitter
Bro, what is the situation in Jordan regarding falconry? I expect similar to nearby countries. Am I right?
To be honest, i'm not sure whether falconry exists in Jordan on the scale that it does in Saudi Arabia. I tried to do some research about it but nothing worthy of mentioning came up.
al-Hasani
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There is falconry in Jordan as well bro. Make a quick google search and you will see. Falconry is present in every Arab country but the popularity depends on country x or y. Also not all Arab countries have such a rich bird life like the Arabian Peninsula which is among the richest areas in the world on this field.
@Al Bhatti
Did you ever attend the International Falconry Conference in Abu Dhabi?
Al Bhatti
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al-Hasani
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Another day at the races by D_Snapper, on Flickr
Gry Falcon_filtered by nye.whittaker, on Flickr
Crested Honey Buzzard, Pernis ptilorhynchus orientalis by Tommy Pe Pe, on Flickr
Dubai 2012 – Egyptian Vulture by Michiel2005, on Flickr
Falconry 118 by Carter S', on Flickr
f4 by F.Albarhomi, on Flickr
Kestrel flight_4377 by kgkrishnan63, on Flickr
My Owl by Fawaz Abdullah, on Flickr
affetto / affection by mauro.cordioli, on Flickr
@Desertfalcon @Al Bhatti etc.
Poor kid.
ArsalanKhan21
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Falconry is game for rich with time on their hand. The small animals living in the desert already have hard life and now are pursued and killed for fun. Hundred years ago falconry may have provided food for humans but now the shopping centers have products from all over the world. Instead of killing small animals for fun they should create national parks and protect nature.
Al Bhatti
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January 14, 2015
Competitors encourage their falcon on the first day of the Noukhba Finals of the Fazza Championship for Falconry at Meydan in Dubai.
Prizes for a pair of high flyers
Two brothers pocketed Dh500,000 each and drove off in brand new Bentleys on Wednesday after they and their birds dominated the region’s top falconry event.
Khalifa and Hamad bin Mijren took the top prizes on the first day of the Noukhba Finals of the Fazza Championship for Falconry in Dubai.
Khalifa won the Farkh category for young birds when his Gyr Shaheen falcon covered 300 metres in 17.471 seconds. Hamad took the Jirnas title for older birds, his Gyr Tebah falcon clocking 17.709 seconds over 500 metres.
Organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre, the championship is the only competition open to all falcon breeds and competitors.
“It has grown tremendously in its 13-year history and is now the most anticipated falconry championship in the entire GCC,” said championship director Souad Darwish.
She thanked Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and patron of the championships, for his support and encouragement.
“It is due to the level of support received by this traditional sport of our forefathers that the UAE is universally recognised as having the highest level of care and passion for falconry in the GCC today, one that all other countries aspire to replicate.”
A two-day competition for non-Emirati GCC falconers begins on Thursday.
Prizes for a pair of high flyers | The National
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 5, 2015
Ali Saeed Shaheen the youngest contestant of the “Fazza Championship for Falconry” for Juniors in Ruwayyah.
Young Emiratis turn out for Fazza Championship for Falconry
More than 250 young Emiratis took part in the Fazza Championship for Falconry.
The competition, which took place on Fridayand Saturdayin Ruwayyah, saw competitors as young as five take part in the juniors category.
The event was organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre.
Nine-year-old Rashid Ahmed Al Saghir won first place in the “Gyr Tabeh Wahash” category on day one, finishing in 15.515 seconds.
Mohammed Saif bin Markhan won first place in the Gyr Tabeh category (300 metres) on day two, after his falcon finished the race in 13.846 seconds.
Young Emiratis turn out for Fazza Championship for Falconry | The National
Competitors encourage their falcon on the first day of the Noukhba Finals of the Fazza Championship for Falconry at Meydan in Dubai.
Prizes for a pair of high flyers
Two brothers pocketed Dh500,000 each and drove off in brand new Bentleys on Wednesday after they and their birds dominated the region’s top falconry event.
Khalifa and Hamad bin Mijren took the top prizes on the first day of the Noukhba Finals of the Fazza Championship for Falconry in Dubai.
Khalifa won the Farkh category for young birds when his Gyr Shaheen falcon covered 300 metres in 17.471 seconds. Hamad took the Jirnas title for older birds, his Gyr Tebah falcon clocking 17.709 seconds over 500 metres.
Organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre, the championship is the only competition open to all falcon breeds and competitors.
“It has grown tremendously in its 13-year history and is now the most anticipated falconry championship in the entire GCC,” said championship director Souad Darwish.
She thanked Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and patron of the championships, for his support and encouragement.
“It is due to the level of support received by this traditional sport of our forefathers that the UAE is universally recognised as having the highest level of care and passion for falconry in the GCC today, one that all other countries aspire to replicate.”
A two-day competition for non-Emirati GCC falconers begins on Thursday.
Prizes for a pair of high flyers | The National
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 5, 2015
Ali Saeed Shaheen the youngest contestant of the “Fazza Championship for Falconry” for Juniors in Ruwayyah.
Young Emiratis turn out for Fazza Championship for Falconry
More than 250 young Emiratis took part in the Fazza Championship for Falconry.
The competition, which took place on Fridayand Saturdayin Ruwayyah, saw competitors as young as five take part in the juniors category.
The event was organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre.
Nine-year-old Rashid Ahmed Al Saghir won first place in the “Gyr Tabeh Wahash” category on day one, finishing in 15.515 seconds.
Mohammed Saif bin Markhan won first place in the Gyr Tabeh category (300 metres) on day two, after his falcon finished the race in 13.846 seconds.
Young Emiratis turn out for Fazza Championship for Falconry | The National
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