Falconry is one of the oldest traditional valued sports in UAE dating back to almost 2000 years, reflecting the bedouin love for it . It was a sport originally enjoyed only by the rich Sheikh’s and also used as a means to source food such as "harees" and "houbara" for the tribe.
They were also used in conjunction with "Saluki " hunting dogs to chase and hunt down gazelles.
The falcon itself, known as the "Saqr" is a bird that is much admired by Arabs because of its fascinating beauty, posture, sharp eyesight and grandeur.
Falconry is not an easy sport and requires a great deal of patience to train the bird to show off its skills.
The Emirates Bird Society is making efforts to save and raise public awareness about the endangered species.
Stopping Illegal trade of falcons, pursuing falcons blueprint of migration are some of the methods used to preserve the species.
A favorite activity of H. H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan is falconry or “ al qanas" as it is called in the local dialect. According to His Highness, falconry is a sport that teaches endurance, strength, and patience.
The two main species used for hunting in the UAE are the "Saqr" falcons (Falco Cherruq), which are imported from other Middle Eastern countries and the Peregrine (Falco Peregrinus).
The Saqr is the most popular since it is well suited for desert hawking.
The female Saqr “ Al Hurr “ , which is larger and more powerful is the one utilized more frequently than the male “ Garmoush ”. The female Peregrine “ Shahin “ or “ Bahri Shahin ” is also preferred to the male “ Shahin Tiba” for hunting purposes.
This video is it a small documentary from the Festival of Zayed Bin Hamdan Heritage Falconry Competition.
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