Introduction to Falconry in SA
FALCONRY by South African Falconry Association
Definition: Falconry is the art of hunting wild quarry with a trained hawk
BACKGROUND TO FALCONRY
The Art of Falconry is the oldest sport in the world, probably four thousand years old, developing on the plains of central Eurasia. The hunters of the Middle East and central Eurasia trained falcons to catch game for food and sport. Sir Henry Layard, discovered a bas-relief depicting a falconer in the ruins of Khorsabad in Mesopotamia during the last century, and this may date from about 1700 BC (Harting 1891 Bibliotheca Accipitraia, in Glasier 1995). Falconry spread to the West. By the 4th Century AD Falconry was well understood in Europe, and by the 6th Century AD it was introduced to Britain where the Kings of Southern England became enthusiasts. Alfred the Great (849 AD – 899 AD) was a competent and keen falconer.
The social history of Britain from before the Norman Conquest, until the end of the 17th Century, is full of reference to falconry; the falcons used were looked on as symbols of power and influence, while hawks were used by “yeomen” to help fill the larder. They are to be found in crests and on coats of arms. Sometimes they were given in payment of ransom and as rents for grants of land. The Middle Ages represented the Great Age for Falconry.
However, by the end of the 17th Century with the advent of the shotgun, and the “Enclosures Act”, Falconry as the means of filling the larder lost popularity. The gun became the sportsman’s delight. Falconry entered the realm of being a recreational sport, usually associated with the aristocrats and was known as the “sport of kings”. The nobility were the only ones who had the luxury of leisure time and hunting land.
The earliest record of falconry in Southern Africa can be found at the museum of “The Great Zimbabwe” near the town of Masvingo in Zimbabwe, where a metal object is identified as an “Arab Falconry Bell”. Several soapstone birds found at the site, which flourished between the 11th and 16th centuries AD, show a remarkable similarity to a falcon perched on a block perch as used by falconers.
The next record of falconry in Southern Africa is in the late 1930’s with Major W. Eustace Poles who settled in Zambia. Major Poles mentored several youngsters on the art of falconry.
Just prior to the Second World War (1939 – 1945) a German immigrant, Heinie Von Michaelis, is thought to be the first active falconer in South Africa. Be this as it may, falconry is a relatively young sport in South Africa with both falcons (longwings) and hawks (shortwings) flown at a great variety of quarry.
There are currently (2008) just fewer than 200 active falconers in South Africa who are members of the various provincial falconry clubs. Falconry is, therefore, a sport practiced by a very small number of dedicated individuals in South Africa.
In 1990 the South African Falconry Association (SAFA) was formed to regulate and coordinate all aspects of falconry. Falconry is legal in all nine provinces in South Africa.
THE PURPOSES OF SAFA:
1) To uphold and develop the standards of falconry practiced in South Africa.
2) To improve communication between falconers throughout South Africa
3) To represent South African falconers and their interests nationally, regionally and internationally through affiliation with organisations such as the International Association for Falconry and the Conservation of Birds of Prey, the Union of African Falconry, the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Birds of Prey Working Group and the Confederation of Hunters Associations of SA.
4) To encourage and facilitate the participation of falconers in conservation and scientific research with respect to raptors and the environment
5) To represent South African Falconers in negotiation and collaboration with Conservation Authorities.
6) To ensure the welfare of raptors used in falconry.
SPECIES USED FOR FALCONRY
The principal birds flown are:
Shortwings: Black Sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus), African Goshawk (Accipiter tachiro), Ovambo (Accipiter ovampensis), Rufous-chested (Accipiter rufiventris) and Little Sparrowhawks (Accipiter minullus), Shikra (Accipiter badius), Gabar Goshawk (Melierax gabar) and Chanting Goshawks (Melierax sp.).
Broadwings: African Hawk Eagle (Aquila spilogaster), Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosis), Verreaux’s Eagle (Aquila verreauxii), Crowned Hawk Eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus) and Jackal Buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus).
Longwings: Lanner (Falco biarmicus), Peregrine (Falco peregrinus), Red-necked (Falco chicquera) and Taita Falcons (Falco fasciinucha), Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), Greater Kestrel (Falco rupicoloides).
GRADING OF FALCONERS
1. Falconers are graded according to their experience and the hawks they are authorized to capture or hunt with is specified accordingly.
2. Master, A and B grade falconers are invited to become examiners who are required to assess the capabilities of novices and less experienced falconers aspiring to higher grades.
3. Applicants must be paid up members of their provincial club and he or she are required to maintain this membership while in possession of a raptor.
GRADING CRITERIA FOR FALCONERS
Apprentice – D grade
All new members undergo a formal apprenticeship. This comprises a period of time (usually one year) in which they can observe active graded falconers (one of whom should be nominated as “mentor” or “sponsor”) and prepare their equipment and mews. As soon as they feel up to it they undertake a written examination set by the provincial falconry club. On successful completion of the exam, they elect a Master, A or B grade falconer to act as their mentor. The mentor is responsible for checking their mews and equipment. When deemed ready by their mentor, they may undertake to care for and train their first hawk. This is performed under close supervision and the mentor is answerable to the committee for their apprentice’s performance. The hawks that a D grade would have access to would be Jackal Buzzards, Rock and Greater Kestrels and African Goshawks.
Novice – C grade
Acceptance into this grade is principally based upon:
1. The condition of the hawk
2. The state of manning of the hawk
3. The hawk’s response to stimuli offered by the falconer and the general relationship between the hawk and falconer in other respects
4. Answers to informal questions put to the falconer, by the examiner/committee and their mentor
Birds available to the C grade is/are anyone of the three D grade birds as well as Gabar and Chanting Goshawks and Shikras.
General Falconer – B grade
A “B” grade falconer must show that he/she can manage a hawk correctly and responsibly, using acceptable falconry techniques. It is important that the applicant shows a strong interest in hunting the hawk. General falconers should have access to pigeons, and must have a trained pointing type dog. Furthermore the B grade falconer must be in possession of at least a telemetry transmitter with a suitable receiver readily available to him or her.
The birds available to the General falconer include those for the previous two grades as well as the eyas/passage Lanner Falcon, female Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Black Sparrowhawk and Harris Hawks. Other species may be applied for under special consideration of the provincial falconry club Committee based on merit and circumstances.
May act as a mentor, after practicing as a General Falconer for at least two years or under special consideration of the provincial falconry club Committee based on merit and circumstances, for D and C grade falconers.
Falconer – A grade
Any eligible falconer can be appointed as an A grade taking into consideration their ability, years of practical falconry and loyalty to the art. It is compulsory for a B grade to fly both shortwings and at least one Lanner Falcon in order to be considered for A grading. Any General Falconer aspiring to A grade Falconer status i.e. fly Peregrine Falcons, must achieve a high standard of hunting proficiency with a Lanner Falcon and must use suitable pointing dogs to assist them in locating game for their falcons to catch. The Falconer has access to all of the previous hawks as well as male Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk, Little Sparrowhawk, Peregrine Falcons, Hybrids and Exotics Falcons. The latter two are only allowed to the A grade after at least having flown Peregrine Falcons successfully.
Master Falconer
Master Falconer is an honorary title granted to a Falconer (A grade). Their dedication and development of falconers in the old art will credit this honour.
All grades of falconers except a Master Falconer revert back to their previous grade following two consecutive years of not actively practicing falconry unless otherwise considered by the Club Committee.
ETHICS OF CARE AND TRAINING OF HAWKS
1. Hawks must be properly housed, fed, trained, exercised and used for hunting according to recognised rules for falconry.
2. In accordance with the above principle, most provincial falconry clubs allow “A grade” falconers a maximum of three hawks and “B grade” falconers a maximum of two hawks as permanent establishment unless by special permit. More hawks may, however, be kept for a period not greater than 7 days by any one falconer, without prior permission, provided that they have adequate housing etc, should they be asked to look after such additional birds by a colleague for any valid reason. Any period longer than this period will only be allowed with the necessary temporary keeping permit. The exception to this would be:
- Those hawks held for a breeding program, thus not counted as falconry birds.
- Birds held for bone-fide educational displays, for conservation purposes.
3. Exotic hawks may not be released back into nature or hacked back in any province of South Africa where they do not occur naturally, but are passed onto another falconer approved by the provincial falconry club, returned to the area where they do occur naturally, or handed to their club or to whomsoever their club may nominate.
4. Indigenous hawks that are no longer required are hacked back to the wild, passed onto another falconer approved by their club or passed to their club or to whomsoever their club may nominate.
FLEXIBILITY OF PROCUREMENT
1. Falconers may be permitted to capture passage hawks and to take eyases of the species listed against their grading, in accordance with the conditions of their permits and the principles of their provincial falconry code of conduct. Each hawk captured or taken is reported to the Secretary of the relevant provincial club, within a prescribed time period but not later than fourteen days after its procurement.
2. It is accepted that even well trained hawks, flown by experienced falconers, are lost for various reasons and that the risk of losing birds is even greater when they are only partly trained and flown by falconers with limited experience. SAFA considers that a hawk thus losp has at least as good a chance of returning successfully to the wild state as does the average eyas, which is fledged naturally. Exotic and hybrid hawks may only be flown under the conditions as stipulated below:
- Falconry birds may be trained in such a way that they are entirely dependent upon their co-operation with man for hunting success and cannot survive by hunting independently.
- No exotic or hybrid hawk shall be “wild- hacked”.
- All exotic or hybrid raptors shall be reared so that they are sexually imprinted on man or on a parent-raptor species that does not occur in the wild in South Africa.
- All exotic or hybrid hawks will be flown with two transmitters at all times.
- All exotic and hybrid hawks will be flown by “A” Grade falconers who have already successfully flown a Peregrine Falcon. The only exception to this is the Harris Hawk. In this case the Harris Hawk may be flown by a “B” Grade falconer who has demonstrated proficiency with telemetry to the Provincial Club committee.
- In the event of loss of an exotic or hybrid hawk, every reasonable effort must be made to recover the lost hawk. In the event of failure to recover or re-trap the hawk, it should be exterminated if judged to be a threat to biodiversity.
- To further ensure that there can be no adverse ecological impacts from the use of hybrid raptors, SAFA undertakes to use or produce only hybrids of sympatric or parapatric species. SAFA voluntarily determines not to produce hybrids of allopatric species, while noting that there is only theoretical objection to such hybrids and reserves the right to review this decision.
3. Hawks, which are lost, die or killed, are reported to the Secretary of the relevant provincial falconry club within 14 days. Likewise the subsequent recovery of a lost hawk.
4. Hawks that die are handed to an appropriate veterinary surgeon for a post mortem. Skins are handed to the provincial nature conservation office or an appointed person recommended by the conservation department.
HOUSING AND EQUIPMENT
1. All falconry birds must be housed in a secure and safe environment to afford the birds’ adequate protection from the elements and any stray animals which could harm them.
2. All falconry furniture (equipment) must be of the highest standard to ensure both the safety and welfare of the raptors used under falconry conditions.
3. Any Committee Member of a provincial falconry club may inspect a falconer’s equipment.
4. Falconers use Almeri jesses with only the anklet, free running thongs or cords, without slits, when flying their hawks free.
ETHICAL HUNTING
All falconers follow the principles of ethical hunting. These principles include the principle of fair chase. They ensure that all hunting is on wild quarry and follows the principles of sustainable use.
It is recognised that it is impossible to control the actions of the falconer’s bird absolutely, but every effort must be made to avoid the catching of non-target species. Similarly, it is recognized that raptors need to fly and hunt year round, so cannot be strictly bound by hunting seasons. It must be noted that falconers take very small numbers of quarry when compared to other hunting methods. Every effort should be made to avoid hunting quarry that is actively breeding or which have dependant offspring. When non-target or off-season quarry is taken, the hawk should be fed up in the field and the carcases left in the field.
