Falconry Displays

Over the years we have always tried to combine the world of birds of prey into our displays in an attempt to promote conservation – in fact a lot of displays have moved away from the theme of falconry towards birds of prey education – either way one always attempts to make the displays fun, interactive where possible so making them accessible to guests and audiences in general.

This week I had a double reminder of the cultural and historical importance of falconry and the value which people attach to it.

I was helping a falconry friend with his bird – a harris hawk – he was telling me that he felt it was so important that we should not lose the skills of falconry – that have been handed down from generation to generation – to the modern world. 

I have the same feeling about falconry but the reality is that falconry is probably stronger and more popular now than it has been since the days of ‘Camelot’! Although I joke about ‘Camelot’  there is this perception that falconry was common place in bygone days – the Middle Ages and before – that everybody flew hawks and falcons.

We will never  quite know how true this picture is  but suffice to say that using  goshawks – or the ‘cooks bird’ as it was known was a bona fide way of putting fresh meat onto the table and with  peregrine falcons - or the  ’falcon gentle’ as she was known – a form of high sport for those of leisure. The supporting cast of merlins and sparrowhawks added to the picture. Our literature notably that of the ‘Bard’ is rich in falconry references, terms and analogies.

So falconry today with the development and success of the captive breeding programme coupled with increased leisure time has brought about the renaissance of the sport.

But I liked the sentiment of what my friend had said and found it cropped up again later in the week when I was working professionally for a client entertaining guests from an international company with representatives coming from all over the world to meet in London. Although we had encountered this many times it just seemed poignant that guests had a sense of falconry in their own country and of course in ours too – something that  people of different cultures have admired together - talked about in their own literature and expressed in art.

One had the feeling that if  falconry were a still water it would run deep.