Falconry, a medieval hunting technique using birds of prey, has today transcended its original hunting use to include surveillance of airport airspace or control of pigeon overpopulation in large cities
Practised by nobles and kings in the Middle Ages, falconry’s history stretches back over 4,000 years. In recognition of its enduring legacy, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated falconry an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.
Today, true falconers are a rare breed. “In Lanzarote, there are only eight of us who hunt with birds,” explains Alfonso Dorta. “We used to have the Tagarote association, but now we’re part of the Hunters’ Society.” Dorta is critical of those who acquire birds of prey simply as pets kept at home. He calls them “pet keepers.” Other falconers consulted label them as “collectors.”
“That’s detrimental to everyone,” he says, “especially the birds themselves. Without regular flying, they become lethargic and prone to illness. This kind of demand also drives up prices, with male Harris’s hawks fetching around €200 and females going for €350 to €400. These ‘pet keepers’ buy up everything…”
Dorta advocates for falconry as a noble and ecological form of hunting. “It’s so important to explain, as I’ve done in schools, that hunting helps control the populations of rabbits, partridges, and pigeons. We have even planted wheat to provide cover for these animals, ensuring that our activities are sustainable.”
Modern falconers use telemetry and radio transmitters for high flights, along with closed rings or microchips to identify their birds. They also use the traditional, instantly recognisable equipment: a leather glove and a hood.
Steven Mountain has been working at Lanzarote’s César Manrique Airport, Guacimeta, for eleven years. He teams up with Saúl Benítez, Wilfran Ortiz, two peregrine falcons, two lanner falcons, and four Harris’s hawks. These birds have a professional working life of about ten years, which extends to about twenty years for those used solely for hunting.
“They work from dawn till dusk, patrolling the airspace to prevent other birds from entering. Pigeons and seagulls are the most common intruders. Local birds, however, have caught on to their presence and have learned to avoid straying into their territory, knowing it could be fatal,” Steven explains.
