Falconry is the traditional art and practice of keeping, training and flying falcons to take quarry in its natural state, and has been practised for more than 4000 years. It is one of the oldest relationships between human and bird. It probably evolved in the steppes of Asia, and spread via cultural and trade links to other countries, first to Europe, North Africa and East Asia and later in the 16th century to the rest of the world. The practice of falconry in early and medieval periods of history is documented in many parts of the world. The falcon and her prey have evolved together over millions of years; their interaction is an age-old drama. The falconer’s task is to bring the actors together on nature’s stage. Falconry as intangible cultural heritage is integrated into communities as a social recreational practice and a means of connecting with nature. Originally a way of obtaining food, falconry has acquired other values over the centuries, and is identified with camaraderie, sharing, and expressions of freedom. Nowadays falconry is practised by people of all ages in local communities in more than eighty countries. Falconry expresses itself in multiple cultural domains, in particular ‘social practices, rituals and festive events’, as well as ‘knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe’. These include traditional skills, traditional knowledge about the biology and behaviour of birds and the environment, the making of traditional falconry equipment, as well as linguistic and artistic expressions found in idioms, painting, sculpture, poetry, rituals and music. Falconry has its own set of culturally-shaped traditions and ethics; while falconers come from different backgrounds, they share universal values, traditions and practices. Falconry is transmitted from generation to generation as a cultural tradition by a variety of means, such as mentoring, learning within families, or formalized training in clubs and schools. The process of transmitting falconry heritage activates not only the historical memory of the falconry community but also enriches its cultural identity. In recent times falconry has seen a renaissance. Falconry provides modern man with links to nature and strengthens local identities. It is an important cultural symbol in many countries. The modern practice of falconry aims at safeguarding not only falcons, quarry, and habitats but also the practice itself as a living cultural tradition.

United Arab Emirates,Austria,Belgium,Czech Republic,Germany,Spain,France,Hungary,Italy,South Korea,Kazakhstan,Morocco,Mongolia,Pakistan,Portugal,Qatar,Saudi Arabia,Syria 2016

Falconry (munushkorluk, itelgichilik, itelgi saluu) is a traditional practice and domain of knowledge, which includes catching and taming of falcons, training and flying them to take quarry in a natural environment. This domain also includes belief systems, ritual practices, and oral history on falcon types, their behaviour and character traits, as well as methods of their selection and taming and an influence they have on the falconer's life. Falconry was one of the ways of traditional life support of nomadic Kyrgyz people. It was an integral part of a nomadic life style based on the relationship between a man and a bird. In the course of this interaction, the man tamed the bird to his needs, and the bird nurtured in man such qualities as sensitivity, endurance and caring attitude to the world of nature. Hence, this model of interaction enabled the falconer to develop a respect and a caring attitude towards all of his surroundings.

Kyrgyzstan 2021

‘Salbuurun’ is a complex hunting game with golden eagles, ‘taigan’ dogs (the Kyrgyz breed of greyhounds) and bow. In the modern salbuurun, golden eagles participate in two exercises: ‘chyrga’ and ‘ondok’. In the first exercise, each berkutchi (eagle master) lets his eagle flying towards moulage, which is entailed by a galloping rider. The eagle has to reach and grasp it. Here, time and speed of the golden eagle are estimated. The golden eagle is seated at a distance of 200 meters in ‘ondok’ exercise. At the judge’s signal, the hunter holloes his eagle holding bait in his hands. Here, the arrival time of the eagle to his owner’s hand is estimated. ‘Taigan zharysh’ is a race organized for the greyhounds. Dog’s agility is determined by the speed of its run at a distance of 350 meters. Dogs chase the moulages that is entailed by the horse rider. ‘Zhaa atuu’ is shooting with a traditional bow (archery).

Falconry or traditional hunting with birds of prey has been long popularized among people who lived in vast steppe and mountainous areas - the habitat of the birds of prey. Kazakh people tamed different species of falcons, eagles and other birds of prey like Burkyts (golden eagles) and various falco representatives. Every species has been accustomed to certain region and climatic environment - northern regions, mountains of Zhungar and Zaili Alatau, bold mountains or mountains with forested and rocky slopes, plains and steppes with scarce vegetation, desserts and etc. Falconry is the traditional art and practice of training and flying falcons to take quarry in its natural state, and has been practised for more than 4000 years. It is one of the oldest relationships between human and bird. It probably evolved in the steppes of Asia, and spread via cultural and trade links to other countries, first to Europe, North Africa and East Asia and later in the 16th century to the rest of the world. The practice of falconry in early and medieval periods of history is documented in many parts of the world. Falconry as intangible cultural heritage is integrated into communities as a social recreational practice and a means of connecting with nature. It is perceived by the communities as cultural heritage, a social tradition of respect for nature and the environment. Originally a way of obtaining food, falconry has acquired other values over the centuries, and is identified with camaraderie, sharing, and expressions of freedom.

Kazakhstan 2016