Festival in Khalifa Park: 8-9 December 2017

Be a falconer

In the Arabian Pavilion, don’t miss the chance to experience what it’s like to be a falconer! Learn from a professional how to handle a falcon, have it perch on your glove, explore different falconry equipment and learn how it is used. Find out how falconers track their lost birds using modern GPS telemetry.

Meet Falcons, Salukis and Houbara

At the Arabian Pavilion, get close to beautiful falcons and learn where they come from, how they hunt, and how fast they can fly. Did you know that they each have a different personality? At the UAE Pavilion, meet saluki hunting dogs and enjoy the company of houbara bustard, the favourite hunting quarry of Arabian falconers.

Pellet Dissection

by Stephanie Green, IAF School Links Programme

Birds of prey do not have teeth to chew up their food; instead they tear it into smaller pieces with their specially adapted hooked beak. Once swallowed the food moves between the crop and the gizzard where digestion takes place and the food is separated into digestible and indigestible parts. The indigestible parts, like the bones and fur, are compacted together into an oval-shaped pellet, which the bird of prey regurgitates. In some bird of prey bones and even whole skulls can be viewed quite easily in the pellet. Children can take part in this fun and scientific activity with falconer and aviculturist Stephanie Green. Participants will dissect a pellet with the aim of establishing which animals the bird of prey eats from identifying the bones in the pellet.

Game On

At the Children’s tent, learn about different types of raptors and the prey they eat through games and competitions.

Mohamed bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School Falconry Jigsaw Quiz

by Mohamed bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School

The falconry jigsaw quiz presents twelve questions to visitors, for each correct answer participants will receive one jigsaw piece with the aim of completing the jigsaw in record time. All answers to the questions can be found in the MBZ Falconry and Desert Physiognomy course booklets level 1 to 4. While completing the falconry jigsaw quiz participants will learn about falconry equipment, falcons used for falconry, quarry hunted, falconry heritage and diseases that affect falcons. Any visitor to the festival aged between seven and seventeen can take part in this fun activity. Quiz and course booklets available in Arabic and English.

Falconry Art Time

Free your creative side at falconry-inspired art workshops led by professional artists. Model birds of prey using clay; paint and draw; learn how to make origami falcons, and make a paper falcon hood. Young adults can learn how artists decorate falconry equipment such as hood and bags.

Storytelling Time: Stories of the past

with Damook Saeed Almahiry, Mohamed bin Zayed Desert and Physiognomy School

Raptors and Falconry Around the World

In the Falconry Nations area, make friends with young falconers from around the world and learn about the special falconry schools they attend, the raptors and the different styles of falconry they practise. Learn about nomadic traditions from Central Asia while building a real Yurt!

Telemetry

Learn how falconers track their lost birds using radio transmitters and GPS systems. Every falconer has their preferred type of telemetry; learn the differences between them, and how technology helps falconers in their art. Make your own radio transmitter and see if you can fit it on a falcon!

Display of remote-controlled lure

Falconers sometimes use remote-controlled lures, kites, balloons and drones to train raptors. This technology can help falcons get fit, but is also fun for the falconer! Come and watch the technique behind controlling a remote lure. It might look easy, but it takes a lot of practice!

Hoodmaking demonstration

If you look around the festival area, you will see falcons wearing a special mask, called a hood. Come and learn why falconers use hoods, which hoods are used for different birds of prey, and how they are decorated. Watch hoods being made throughout the day and have a go at making one yourself.

by Tim MacPherson

South African falconer Tim MacPherson makes falcon hoods with kangaroo leather. Watch Tim create beautiful hoods from this very strong leather.

by Jean- Baptiste Benaccio

Jean-Baptiste Create hoods, gloves and bags from deer leather for his own birds and customers. Observe his techniques and artistic passion.

Painting hoods & bags

by Mike Donnely

Falconers take great pride in having beautiful handmade equipment for their birds. Learn the art of painting falcon hoods and bags with artist and falconer Mike Donelly

Leatherwork

by Giancarlo Pirrotta

Observe Italian artist and falconer Gian-Carl Pirotto turn leather into unique pieces of art.

Dissect a Pellet

by Stephanie Green, IAF School Links Programme

Birds of prey do not have teeth to chew up their food; instead they tear it into smaller pieces with their specially adapted hooked beak. Once swallowed the food moves between the crop and the gizzard where digestion takes place and the food is separated into digestible and indigestible parts. The indigestible parts, like the bones and fur, are compacted together into an oval-shaped pellet, which the bird of prey regurgitates. In some bird of prey bones and even whole skulls can be viewed quite easily in the pellet. Children can take part in this fun and scientific activity with falconer and aviculturist Stephanie Green. Participants will dissect a pellet with the aim of establishing which animals the bird of prey eats from identifying the bones in the pellet.

Talk: Birds of Prey and Vikings

by Ellen Hagen, IAF Women’s Working Group

Raptors constitute a key part of the Viking mythology. Ellen Hagen (IAF WWG and Arkeologisk museum, UiS, Norway) will help you know about the status of bird of prey in Viking Age culture 1000 years ago. Did the Vikings use the birds of prey in hunting? Learn about raptors from the perspective of archaeology and pedagogy.

Discussion: What is it like to be a falconer in the twenty-first century?

by Andrea Villa, IAF Young Falconer’s Group

To be a falconer in the twenty-first century could seem anachronistic. We live in a digital era and whether we want it or not, our falconry techniques are changing from the original falconry practiced by Federico II. New technologies such as drones and GPS are gradually replacing our idea of traditional falconry. So what must we do? Should we accept these changes and finally become ‘Falconers 2.0’ or should we defend traditional falconry? During this discussion workshop we will have an opportunity to share our ideas regarding these topics.

Salukis and houbara

Get close to saluki hunting dogs how they have hunted with Arab falconers for centuries, and their role as reliable hunting partners. Marvel at their beauty and get to know their individual characters. Encounter houbara bustard, the favoured quarry of Arabian falconers, while learning about their conservation by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation.

Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

Abu Dhabi has one of the only specialised hospitals for birds of prey in the world. Meet the amazing people who treat sick and injured falcons, often using falconry techniques in their work. The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is a focal point for young avian vets, and each year students from all over the world compete for internships here. Have you ever thought of becoming an avian vet? Come and be inspired.

Al Ain Zoo

Al Ain Zoo will have on display a selection or raptors from UAE and beyond. Here you can learn more about eagles and owls and how they fly and what they hunt.

Sheikh Muhammed Museum

Will display an exhibition about history of falconry.

Explore the Falconry Nations area and meet falconers from around the world in their traditional costumes. Meet those youths from Poland, Slovakia, Spain, South Africa, and Zimbabwe who they attend special falconry schools. Learn about the hawks, eagles and falcons they fly, how they take care of them, and the different equipment they use.

The Festival highlights their unique heritage and celebrates their common passion: the art of falconry.

Falconers from the Gulf region will be gathering in the Arabian Falconry Pavilion, where you can enjoy unparalleled hospitality, sample some delicious Arabic coffee, and relax in the company of falcons.

Pay a visit to the Steppe Village with its yurts designed to withstand the strong winds of the Asian Steppe. Say hello to Kazakh and Mongolian falconers who hunt with golden eagles on horseback. Explore the equipment they use and let them tell you about falconry in their home country. Take part in the Yurt building competition!

From North America, the Tipi Village brings a flavour of the Great Plains and its native cultures. Listen to the sounds of the grouse and run your fingers through the buffalo skin furs.

Visit the Falconry Schools’ tents to learn how young apprentices in different countries attend specialised schools to receive education in the art of falconry, often as part of their everyday curriculum.

International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey

The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF) is the global voice for falconry. The IAF unites 110 organisations in 86 countries. Drop by and see how the IAF has made a difference worldwide since 1968.

IAF Young Falconers

IAF Young Falconers’ Group supports falconry amongst the youth by creating direct links between budding falconers all around the world, exchanging ideas and inspiring each other. Come and find out how they see future of falconry.

IAF Women’s Working Group

The mission of the Women’s Working Group is to assist women falconers around the world through education, promotion, networking and mentoring, as we seek to practise falconry as a hunting tradition. We also document women’s role in the history of our art: many women have contributed to the history, methodology and community of falconry worldwide. The IAF’s Board and Advisory Committee includes women falconers, and there are women falconers serving as National Delegates in the IAF Council.

IAF School Links Programme

The School Links Programme was established in 2010 as part of the Mongolian Artificial Nest Project, with the aim of ensuring the longevity of the 5000 artificial nests erected on the Mongolian Steppe. It now links students in 38 schools worldwide, in Austria, Bulgaria, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, and the UK, USA and UAE.Mongolian schools visit artificial nests near their homes and communicate with their international peers about falcon biology and conservation, and falconers visit classes with their hawks.Come and meet the team behind this amazing project. Maybe your school would like to join the programme, or perhaps you are a falconer who would like to take part?

The First Falconry Festival, 1976: photo exhibition

This exhibition will display a collection of photographs telling the story of the first World Conference on Falconry and Conservation, which took place in the UAE in 1976, and which became the 1st International Festival of Falconry. The exhibition is also a celebration of the UAE’s role in the UNESCO inscription, and will highlights the achievements and outcomes of this festival.

Falconry and conservation

This exhibit will highlight projects managed and initiated by falconers in the Middle East and around the world. Falconers have had an instrumental role in researching, monitoring, and restoring threatened populations of wild raptors.

Youth cultural exchange majlis

Here, in a Bedouin tent, young falconers can exchange ideas with other young falconers from around the world. The next generation of falconers is here to carry the falconry torch into the future.

Weathering area

The weathering area hosts all the falcons of the Emirates Falconers’ Club. Here you can see the birds up close, learn about their personalities and lives, and watch them preen and relax. At first all falcons might look the same, but if you spend enough time watching them you will see the subtle differences in colour, size and shape. Can you tell which one is a peregrine and which one is a saker? What is the difference between males and females? And which birds do Arab falconers prefer? You may even have a falcon perch on your arm.

Bedouin tent

Come and join falconers in a Bedouin tent and learn about Arab falconry as a desert way of life. Explore the beautiful handmade falconry equipment and learn how it is made and used. Listen to exciting stories about hunting and desert life.

Penryn College Falconry, South Africa

by Joshua Hoekstra and Ryan Schreuder

Join two of our Grade 11 students to hear about how falconry is practised at Penryn College, South Africa.

Penryn College, in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, has had a falconry club since 2001. At Penryn, an interest in hawking is a route towards learning not just practical falconry, but also ecology, sustainable use, and falconry heritage. Many pupils from the falconry club at Penryn have gone on to become zoologists, veterinarians and field guides. www.penryn.co.za.

Hawking in the Wilds of Africa

Falcon College, Zimbabwe

by Evan Wellock, David Mann, Patrick van Wyk, Michael Learmonth, Christopher Hayes and Brandon Godfrey

Join Falcon College to hear how our young falconers hunt in the African bush with their indigenous birds of prey, and listen to some of the interesting encounters they have had with wildlife while hawking.

Falcon College is a secondary boarding school in Zimbabwe, southern Africa. The College Falconry Club has 20 members, with 11 birds being flown, including a Martial Eagle.  The Headmaster of the College has two breeding pairs of Peregrines and flies another Peregrine and a Black Sparrowhawk, while the Falconry Master flies two Peregrines and a Lanner Falcon. The current president of the International Association for Falconry, Dr Adrian Lombard, is a former student of Falcon College. www.falconcollege.com.

The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Slovakia

The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice is Slovakia’s sole veterinary university, offering EU-standard veterinary education in the English language. The university is known for the practical experience offered through its clinics, farm, wildlife facility and equestrian grounds. www.uvlf.sk.

Teaching at the first primary school with falconry on the curriculum – and how it saved our school

The Primary School with Kindergarten of Maximilián Hell, Slovakia

by Samuel Kuka

Join Samuel Kuka, from Maximilian Hell Primary in Slovakia, to find out how falconry transformed the school.

The Primary school with Kindergarten of Maximilián Hell is first primary school in the world that teaches falconry as part of the compulsory curriculum. Exposing children as young as 5 years old to falconry, our aim and vision is to ensure falconry will live on and flourish within the generations to come.  www.zakladnaskola.com

ADAJA Falconry Camp, Spain

by Dr. Javier Ceballos and Lucía Borque

Every summer in Spain, Avium organizes the ADAJA Falconry Camp. Children between seven and 15 years old live with a team of falconry birds and experienced falconers. For 15 days they share their passion for falconry following a complete program of activities. www.adaja.es.

Dr. Javier Ceballos and Lucía Borque will talk about the Camp, come and learn about how to join it!

The Falconry Club of the Forest Technical School in Tuchola, Poland

by Hubert Kruszewski

Find out about a falconry club in a college of forestry, which has been active since 1971.

The Forest Technical School in Tuchola is one of 16 schools in Poland which teach forestry as a profession. Our technical college not only prepares us to work in the State Forests but also allows us to develop in many different ways. Certainly the pride of our school is the falconry club, which started in 1971 on the initiative of Czesław Sielicki. After the Second World War, when falconry was almost extinct, it was the first such institution in Poland. Many years have passed since then, but our club has  not stopped growing. Now we have 12 birds of prey. Every year we welcome new members and proudly cultivate the tradition initiated by Professor Sielicki.

Secondary Forest School: SOŠL in Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia

TUZVO, Slovakia

The International Association of Falconry School Links Programme is an international education project inspired by the cultural importance of falconry in the UAE.  Established in 2011 as part of a conservation and wildlife management project targeted at Saker Falcons in Mongolia, the programme in accessible to students, schools and teachers across the globe.

Falcon conservation is a global issue that provides a good foundation for curriculum development in science and humanities. Falconry is a widespread and culturally important practice incorporating aspects of heritage, history, literature and science. This makes falconry an ideal subject for an education programme and school link, as it represents a common theme that cuts across a diverse range of cultures.

Units of work on falconry, falcons and bird of prey conservation are available free to download online and can be taught in a number of ways to classes or individual students. Schools are linked to a partner school in a different country, enabling students to share culture and language. Falconers visit schools each year with their birds and help deliver some units of work.

Four students from schools in Mongolia will attend the 4th international Festival of Falconry, winning their participation by entering a competition sponsored by the Emirates falconers’ Club. Visit the IAF School Links Programme tent and meet the students who run lunchtime and afterschool bird of prey clubs at their schools. Find out how to participate in the programme, what you can learn and how to link your school to another in a different country.

www.schoollinksprogramme.org

All about the IAF School Links Programme

by Sarangerel Ichinkhorloo, Mongolia

Want to learn about falconry & raptor conservation while at school? Come along and find out how.

History of Falconry in Mongolia

by Enhzaya Munktaivan, Mongolia

Hear about the history of Mongolian falconry.

Falcon Club of Airag School

by Munkhsetseg Ulzilbaatar, Mongolia

Learn what happens at the “Falcon Club” School Links Programme at Airag School.

Raptor Conservation Work in Mongolia

by Gegee Batbold, Mongolia

Find out about the raptor conservation work taking place in Mongolia.

Growing up with falcons

by Tului Mendbayer, Mongolia

Tului has grown up with falcons in his life. Come and listen to his story.

The Mohamed Bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School has been established to pass on the principles and practice of Arabian falconry to the next generation, and promote its unique features and traditions to sustain this important aspect of cultural heritage in the United Arab Emirates. The school commemorates the achievements of the pioneering falconer the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and aims to raise awareness of national and international policies and legislation to ensure Arabian falconry is sustainable and preserved for future generations.

The site of the school was selected for the beauty of the desert environment that surrounds it. The location allows students to learn falconry in the same desert environment where Bedouin have hunted for centuries, to develop an understanding of the ‘face of the desert’ (physiognomy) and recognize the plants and animals that live there. The architecture of the school is inspired by the beautiful design of Qasr Al Ain, where his Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was born and raised.

The school equips learners of all ages with the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to become practicing falconers. Students are taught the principles of Arabian falconry including species of falcons used, falcon training methods, hunting of traditional quarry, common falcon diseases and treatment, falcon nutrition, the biology of falcons and falconry equipment needed.

The Mohamed bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School opened its doors to its first students on the 15 December 2016.  Our weekend courses start as the hunting season begins and students can enroll in our four level curriculum for age groups 7-12 years old, 13-17 years old and adults. Local and international schools are encouraged to participate in our weekday or remote learning courses.

Learning traditional Arabian falconry at the Mohamed bin Zayed Desert and Physiognomy School

in English and Arabic

The Mohamed bin Zayed Desert and Physiognomy School is the first school dedicated to teaching the principles and practice of Arabian falconry and promoting its cultural value for future generations. The curriculum not only contains everything a novice falconer needs to learn, but also how the Bedouin lived in the past, how they tracked quarry and survived in the deserts harsh conditions. Attend this presentation to find out more about this unique school, what topics are covered and how to enroll in our children and adult courses delivered in Arabic and English.

Falconry species used in Arabian falconry

in English and Arabic

The talk will describe what kinds of falcons were traditionally used in Arabian falconry, including where they came from and how they were obtained. This will be contrasted with the types and origin of falcons prevalent in modern Arabian falconry.

Arabian falconry: equipment & quarry

in English and Arabic 

Houbara bustard, curlew and desert hare are the favorite quarry of Arab falconers. Learn their characteristics, unique features and how to locate them in the desert.

Falconry equipment or furniture is essential for falconry; find out what each individual piece is called, its purpose and learn how to tie falconers knots used in Arabian falconry.

Mohamed bin Zayed Falconry and Desert Physiognomy School falconry jigsaw quiz

The falconry jigsaw quiz presents twelve questions to visitors, for each correct answer participants will receive one jigsaw piece with the aim of completing the jigsaw in record time. All answers to the questions can be found in the MBZ Falconry and Desert Physiognomy course booklets level 1 to 4. While completing the falconry jigsaw quiz participants will learn about falconry equipment, falcons used for falconry, quarry hunted, falconry heritage and diseases that affect falcons. Any visitor to the festival aged between seven and seventeen can take part in this fun activity. Quiz and course booklets available in Arabic and English.

Storytelling: stories of the past

With Damook Saeed Almahiry

Festival Art Activities

Make a peregrine or gyrfalcon mask, create a paper falcon hood, colour in a falcon and falconers & make a clay bird. Add you handprint to the festival bird collage.