Falconry

Falconry is the use of trained falcons to hunt other animals in their natural habitat, with consideration to its effect on the environment. It is a practice that was already in use in Mesopotamia in 2,000 BC, and possibly even much earlier in Assyria, eventually introduced into Europe in around 400 AD, with the invasion of the Huns and the Alans.

The majestic falcon was a symbol of status, falconry becoming a popular sport among the nobles of medieval Europe, the Middle East, and the Mongolian Empire. It was a reason for partying and comparing prize.

Falcons were so highly valued, that they were estimated at more than their weight in gold, sometimes also traded for the purpose of ransom. When the son of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy had been captured by the Ottoman Sultan Beyazid, in the late 14th century, Beyazid had refused Philip's offer of 200,000 gold ducats for ransom, and instead requested 12 white gyrfalcons, these being the largest of the falcon species.

When writing the first comprehensive book on falconry "The Art of Hunting with Birds", Emperor Fredrick II, out of his fascination for Islamic culture, imported several educated practices from the east.

The all-time great movie 'The Maltese Falcon' marks the essential link between Malta and the falcon, one that goes back a long way. Falcons used to migrate to Malta from Morocco and habitually breed on the island, having left their mark on the few place names, such as 'Rdum il-Bies, and 'Ras il-Pellegrin'. At the time when Malta was under the Aghlabid Arabs, the island was a place that sourced the Arab Princes with falcons.

In 1239, when Emperor Fredrick II annexed Malta to Sicily, he sent out a group of 18 royal falconers equipped with horses and men, to report on the number of falcons on the islands, and on how many had been caught in the wild in that one season. They had managed to secure as many as 50 falcons, a premium catch, as falcons originating from the island were highly prized.

In 1271, a time when Malta was under Charles of Anjou, the King had written to the Castellan of Malta requesting that falcons be sent to him from the island, further instructing him to have the names of those falconers delivering the birds to the royal court recorded.

Falcons were marked, and could therefore be identified. A female falcon belonging to Henry ll (1547-59), which had escaped while he was hunting with it at Fontainebleau, was caught in Malta the following day, having been recognised from the ring it was wearing.

When Emperor Charles V of Spain granted the Maltese Islands to the Knights of St John in 1530, he did so against the annual gift of a peregrine falcon on All Saints Day, in token and acknowlegement of fealty. It later became customary for falcons to also be sent to the kings of France, Portugal and Naples. The Knight presenting falcons to the King, was bound by protocol, which included presenting a letter to the King from the Grand Master, with details of the birds.

This obligation to send falcons, made it necessary to create the post of a Grand Falconer, who if not a Commander, was no less than a Knight of Justice, appointed to his office by the Grand Master himself. The Order made Falconry into a serious discipline. The Grand Falconer would issue licences to the cacciatori, of whom he was in command. The captured falcons were formally recorded by notarial deed, before being handed over to the Royal Falconer, who was then responsible for the delivery of the birds. Falconers carried responsibilities, but also enjoyed prestige and privileges. The Falconry was housed in Casa Falconeria, in what was then Strada Falconeria, today Melita Street. It is where the Order's falcons were kept, trained and bred.

Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette, Grand Master during the Great Siege of 1565, would hunt partridges with falcons in St. Paul's bay, and owned a Gyrfalcon, which had been sent to him by the King of France. Anyone disturbing the partridges' nest became liable to heavy fines. De Vallette died of sunstroke, which he caught when out on a hunt with falcons. The falcon features on his coat of arms.

The British Governor Sir Alexander Ball, extended the practice of sending falcons to the French King, immediately on taking over in the year 1800, but seemingly not beyond that date. The practice is likely to have started fading at around that time, when guns started to replace falcons.

During World War II, with wide use of DDT for the control of insects, the deadly pesticide threatened the falcon with complete extinction, in Malta and elsewhere. Falcons are now off the endangered list, and falconry recently started to regain popularity, both locally and on the continent.

The last time a pair of mating peregrine falcons had been seen on Malta was in the 1980's, when sadly, they were shot. The islands are along migrating corridors, and lone falcons would only stop for rest on their journey. In 2009, as luck would have it, a pair of mating Maltese falcons were being spotted on the mainland. The sightings became more frequent. Four mating pairs are now known to breed on the islands, producing some 12 young between them, and so falcons have started to breed again, just as they were about to become extinct.

The Peregrine falcon is tolerant of warm weather, and therefore suitable for the Maltese climate, it is easy to train, and eager to hunt. Having good eyesight, and being strong fliers, falcons dive and catch their prey in mid-air. Being at the top of the food chain, they have few natural predators, and none on Malta.

One of the main problems that the practice of falconry encounters is land availability. The islands are small to start with, and with properties being repeatedly divided between the heirs over the years, what were once extensive estates available for the sport, may have been reduced to small holdings, leaving only few lands that are large enough for the practice of falconry.

Another problem is the shortage of prey, further aggravated by competition from hunters armed with guns, and worse still, the danger that the falcon might become the target, even though a rare occurrence.

Each time a falconer flies his falcon, he is risking never seeing it again, losing all the effort that goes into training the bird and getting it comfortable with him. The falcon can be overcome by his natural instinct to hunt naturally. In Malta, the falcon might decide to go for easy prey by attacking pigeon coops which are frequent, getting the falconer into trouble.

In order to compensate for the scarcity of natural prey, unhooded falcons now chase robotic prey. This practice nonetheless, enthuses the falcon for flight and catch, in a contest for aerial supremacy. The falcon still obtains its reward from the falconer, minimizing the risk of the falcon abandoning the falconer.

In 2008 Lawrence Formosa formed the Federicus Rex Malta Falconers, the first of two clubs which now have some fifty members between them. It was by virtue of leverage from these clubs that falconry was included in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List for Malta.

In spite of a long tradition of falconry, there had never been a regulatory framework for the practice of falconry in Malta, until a new law came into force in 2016. The law was well drawn up to fit the needs of falconers locally, whilst being in conformity with EU and international law for the conservation of wild birds.

The law stipulates that whoever flies a falcon, for whatever reason, is in need of a license. With a considerable number of newly qualified falconers, it seems like the ancient art of falconry is slowly finding its way back.

According to a study monitored by Dr. Natalino Fenech from the local University, Peregrine falcons breeding in the wild, consume just over half the amount of wild pigeons in Malta. Hence, the falcon helps in controlling the pigeon population, which is destructive to buildings as well as being a hazard to health.

Malta has recently seen an increase of US visitors, whose enchantment for this noble pastime inspires efforts of sustainability, also contributing to the economy. The Malta Falconry Centre boasts an aviary collection of some twenty local species of birds of prey on view to the public, in a natural and open environment that blends in with the surrounding countryside. The range includes the Peregrin falcon and the Harris hawk, two of the most frequently used birds of prey. The centre is family run, and puts on an alluring show of birds in flight, with the opportunity of bird handling.

Lawrence Formosa is another great contributor to the resurgence of falconry in Malta. Sporting traditional dress, Lawrence daily sets up his falcon blocks in spots highly frequented by locals and tourists, flying his birds and happy to have them handled, igniting an interest in all who pass his way. Lawrence was behind the setting up of the first falconers' club, and was instrumental in adapting the newly installed law to match falconers' needs locally, but also striving for Malta's inclusion in the intangible heritage list, thus contributing to fostering cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.