Falconry in the United Arab Emirates
School Links Programme
An ancient tradition
• During Ancient
times, people
hunted with birds
of prey for food &
clothing
• Falconry was
practiced in the
Middle East some
believe as early as
2500BC
• Written evidence
of Arabian falconry
dates from 700AD
Bedouin and falconry
• Falconry has always been part
of traditional Bedouin culture
• The desert people hunted for
food in the winter with
falcons
• The Bedouin hunted Gazelles,
Arabian hare, stone curlews
and houbara bustard using
falcons
Falcons used by Bedouin
• Falcons do not breed in
the Arab states
• Falcons passed through
the Arab states on their
migration to Africa
• Some falcons were
trapped while flying
through the region
• Some falcons were
trapped in Asia and traded
with the Bedouin
• The saker falcon and
peregrine falcon were
most commonly used by
Bedouin falconers
Houbara bustard
• Houbara bustard also
migrated through the
deserts of Arabia in the
past
• Bedouin elders would
send word that the
houbara had arrived
• The annual event
brought local people
together.
Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan
• Sheikh Zayed
transformed the UAE
from a semi nomadic
nation to a developed
nation
• Sheikh Zayed spent his
youth with the
Bedouin and was a
keen falconer
• UAE coat of arms is a
golden falcon
Decline of quarry
• All terrain vehicles
meant that falconers
could travel further
into the desert
• This led to
overhunting
• Stone curlew, hare
and houbara bustard
numbers declined
Falconry in UAE today
• Falconry is a part of
UAE’s cultural heritage
• It is a popular sport
among Emiratis and is
practiced by all sectors
of society
• It is a tradition that has
survived to modern
times
• Falconry is celebrated
and used to bring
nations together
Captive bred falcons
• Many Emirati falconers buy captive
bred falcons
• Captive breed falcons reduce the
need to catch birds from the wild
• White gyr falcons are the most
favoured
• Gyr- peregrine is a hybrid falcon and is
also popular
• 96% of all falcons used in Abu Dhabi
are captive-bred birds.
• Since 2003, UAE falcon owners can
travel abroad with their falcons using
a special falcon passport
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the following artists, photographers and falconers for images and text used in this PowerPoint :
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Andrew Lopez Sanchez
Tom Bailey
Rob Palmer
Andrew Lopez Peinado
Chris Johnson
Linda Wright
Funded by the Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi and supported by Mongolian Ministry of Nature Environment and
Tourism. Implemented by International Wildlife Consultants , UK and Wildlife and Conservation Center, Mongolia