Falcon
For a Qatari, enjoying the sport of falconry is as important as cows are to an American or a dog racing is in the UK. This lets you know that it is a very important hobby and many men get together especially in the winter months from November to March to have fun with this sport. This is because the Houbara, which is the falcon’s natural prey, lives wild in the desert at this time and it is a good time because the weather is suitable. There is one other bigger bird called Hubro, which comes from Sudan, Algeria and Libya that can be hunted by a species called Jeer and Shaheen. Another type of bird, which is caught by falcons is called Krowan and can be hunted from September right through until June. There are only two months when it is really too hot for hunting, to take place in the desert -July and August. During these months the owners have to provide dead pigeons for them to eat. The falcons have to be trained by Tilwah – these are the dead carcasses of Houbara, which are swung around the head of one of the trainers. The insides of the bird have been removed so that there is no stink and the bird is clean for the falcon to hunt. The other trainer lets the falcon fly about half a kilometer to try and catch this Tilwah.
The sport is considered fit for Kings and Emirs and Sultans because of the long history of falconry and it has now spread to other parts of the world such as Scotland and Texas. The first falcons were used in sport long ago in medieval times but now, in Qatar, most of the men are involved in either owning falcons, racing falcons or hunting with them. It is a sport which can be enjoyed cheaply (you can buy one which catches pigeons and small birds for about 2000QAR) or which can be very expensive and can catch any bird. These more expensive falcons can cost as much as 100,000 to 200,000QAR.
Different types of falcons:
The sport is considered fit for Kings and Emirs and Sultans because of the long history of falconry and it has now spread to other parts of the world such as Scotland and Texas. The first falcons were used in sport long ago in medieval times but now, in Qatar, most of the men are involved in either owning falcons, racing falcons or hunting with them. It is a sport which can be enjoyed cheaply (you can buy one which catches pigeons and small birds for about 2000QAR) or which can be very expensive and can catch any bird. These more expensive falcons can cost as much as 100,000 to 200,000QAR.
Different types of falcons: