Welcome to the International Association for Falconry
Our organization is dedicated to the preservation of the ancient art of falconry, a hunting tradition defined as 'taking quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of trained birds of prey'. Preserving falconry involves maintaining not only the traditional culture that builds practical skills of empathy with animals, but also the conservation of raptors and their prey through preservation of natural habitats. We therefore encourage falconry within the context of sustainable use of wildlife.
We also promote ecological studies and veterinary research on birds of prey and, where appropriate, domestic breeding of raptors for falconry, including such species as Peregrine falcons, Goshawks, Saker and Gyr falcons and all other species of raptors in whatever part of the world they may be used for falconry and hunting.
In our site, you will find pages on the history of falconry and its role in conservation, its contribution to culture as well as details of how modern falconry is practised. You can visit our extensive Global Membership list, and read about our worldwide activities in the IAF Newsletter.
IAF is an accreditated NGO providing advisory services to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee (NGO-90006) and an accreditated member of IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Council Delegate Meeting 2013
Valkenswaard, The Nederlands
From 19th until 23th June 2013.
Delegates should have received their information pack by now. If you are an official delegate and have not yet received the information please contact us on: info@iaf.org
IAF attends to 60th CIC Assembly
IAF President Adrian Lombard speaking at opening ceremony of the 60th General Assembly of CIC.
Issue Philatelic "Falconry"
Issue Philatelic "Falconry" carried out by CTT with the support of the Associação Portuguesa de Falcoaria and the City of Salvaterra de Magos.
On March 23, 2013 CTT dedicated a stamp issue to Falconry. This is the second time that this art is graced with an issue, the first of which occurred in 1994. This issue was composed of four stamps and a block, having a circulation of over half a million copies. The four stamps that make up the series reproduce birds prey used in falconry and some of the equipment most commonly used in this art.
For more info click here!
News from Qatar
The Qatar International Festival of falcons and hunting is one of the largest festivals in the region. The last two previous events were marked by unlimited support, strong competition and mass attendance. A wide range of falconers from the Gulf Region participated in the festival. This Festival is organized annually by Algannas (the falcons and saluki section of the Katara Cultural Foundation) under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Joan bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani since its inception in 2010. The 2013 event has been an unqualifed success and this Festival is going from strength to strength every year. Also under the auspices of Katara and running at the same time was the fantastic Al Galaya Festival, a televised “reality TV” show where teams of traditional falconers are placed in a wilderness area 12km sq or larger and have to set up camp in a traditional way, with no modern aids like vehicles or mobile phones or electricity and hunt from their camels and horses with falcons and salukis and are judged by senior falconers acting as referees.
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Recent IAF Events
2013
IAF attends to 60th General Assembly of CICPrague, Bratislava, Budapest
2012
IAF attends CMS UEAAbu Dhabi (UEA)
2012
Frank Bond retired as IAF President
2012
AGM Meeting, NebraskaKearney (USA)
2012
Falconry Exhibition EPBrussels (Belgium)
2011
Woman Working GroupBrussels (Belgium)
News from The Netherlands
Today, Wednesday 24th April 2013, the Kingdom of The Netherlands have formally recognised Falconry as an Intangible Cultural Heritage! Congratulation to our Dutch friends!
News from Pakistan
Today, Wednesday 30th January 2013, MS. YASMEEN REHMAN, Parliamentarian, successfully moved for leave to introduce a Bill to Provide for enactment of law relating to falconry Proposed Code for Pakistan Falconry law [The Falconry Law Bill, 2013], clearing the way for the the proposed bill to be sent to Standing Committee, thence to the Senate and finally to the President for signature.
Congratulations and best wishes from IAF go to the Pakistan Falconers Club and its President Kamran Khan for all their work towards successful recognition and giving formal status to their Pakistani falconry tradition.
News from Austria and Hungary
On Thursday 5th Dec 2012 at the 7th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage an Extension was approved to the Representative List of The Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The extension to Austria and Hungary increases the number of countries whose falconry traditions are now safeguarded on the List to thirteen.
Vulture Awareness Day
Vultures are an ecologically vital group of birds that face a range of threats in many areas that they occur. Populations of many species are under pressure and some species are facing extinction. The International Vulture Awareness Day has grown from Vulture Awareness Days run by the Birds of Prey Programme in South Africa and the Hawk Conservancy Trust in England, who decided to work together and expand the initiative into an international event
