What is Falconry?

By CuriOdyssey | Thu July 5, 2018

Falconry: The Ancient Technique of Hunting Wild Animals by using Trained Birds of Prey.

How old is Falconry? What are some modern examples?

Visual tool: check out this timeline from PBS!

The earliest evidence of falconry in recorded history is 2205 BC China. Records refer to falcons as royal gifts in the Heian dynasty in China. Falconry was primary reserved for royalty and was popular in Eastern Asia and Europe for most of recorded history. It wasn’t until 1935 that the US established the Peregrine Club which sparked some interest in the tradition, and finally in 1961 the North American Falconer’s Association was formed and continues to this day.

Many organizations exist that are dedicated to keeping falconry alive; one of our local favorites is Full Circle Falconry and Wildlife Management.

Who is Full Circle Falconry and Wildlife Management?

The falconers at Full Circle wear a variety of hats! They are available to make an appearance at private parties, schools, museums, or renaissance fairs where they let their birds fly free and soar over the audience in addition sharing their knowledge of birds of prey. In addition, they handle pest control at farms, malls, industrial sites or landfills where pest animals can cause damage or spread disease.

Why is falconry a safer alternative to pesticides?

Pesticides can be incredibly harmful to humans and wildlife alike, with only small amounts of exposure to pesticides proving dangerous with long term effects. When crops are sprayed with pesticides they can leave a small amount of residue on the crop which we then ingest. In addition when animals ingest pesticides we can become contaminated from them, or if the pesticides run off into the water we can ingest it from there. Children are especially susceptible to pesticides and it can permanently harm their development.

Falconry is a safe and humane alternative to using pesticides in order to limit pest animal populations, as falcons are used to hunt animals they naturally consider prey and leave no harm to the environment or disturb natural population dynamics.

Please visit Raptors Are The Solution (R.A.T.S.) for resources on raptors as a pesticide alternative.