History of Falconry
It is uncertain when exactly the art of falconry began. The origins of falconry go back much further than records exist! The earliest records describe a highly structured and well thought out falconry at a level of sophistication which gives the impression of having evolved over many hundreds, if not thousands of years. The earliest accounts date to approximately 2000 BC and suggest the art of falconry may have begun in Mesopotamia, China and Mongolia.
Falcons were originally trapped and used to hunt small game during the winter months in order to supplement a very limited diet by the nomadic societies.
In the U.K. and parts of Europe, falconry reached its high point in the 17th century, but declined the late 18th and 19th centuries, as other methods of hunting replaced this practice.
Falconry then became a status symbol largely restricted to the noble classes due to money, space and the time to nurture the popular sport.
In the late 19th, early 20th century Falconry became popular again and a number of falconry books were published. This renewed popularity led to the introduction of falconry in North America in the early 1900s.
There are a number of birds that are suitable for use in falconry;
- Broadwings: Golden Eagles, Buzzards, Harris hawk.
- Longwings: Peregrine Falcons, Lanner Falcon, Gyrfalcon.
- Shortwings: Accipiters (goshawks).
Through the captive breeding of rescued birds, the last 30 years have seen a great rebirth of the sport and has probably never been higher in the past 300 years.
