Falconry

Falconry is the hunting of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a falconer flies a falcon; an austringer (German origin) flies a hawk (Accipiter and some buteos and similar) or an eagle (Aquila or similar). In modern falconry the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and the Harris hawk are often used. The words "hawking" and "hawker" have become used so much to mean petty traveling traders, that the terms "falconer" and "falconry" now apply to all use of trained birds of prey to catch game. In early English falconry literature, the word "falcon" referred to a female falcon only, while the word "hawk" or "hawke" referred to a female hawk. A male hawk or falcon was referred to as a "tiercel" (sometimes spelled "tercel") as it was roughly one third less than the female in size. Many contemporary practitioners still use these words in their original meaning. The practice of hunting with a conditioned falconry bird is also called "hawking" or "gamehawking".

Read more about Falconry:  History, Birds Used in Contemporary Falconry, Husbandry, Training, and Equipment, Falconry Around The World, Clubs and Organizations, Captive Breeding and Conservation, Hybrid Falcons, Artificial Selection and Domestication, Escaped Falconry Birds, Regulations in Great Britain, Regulations in The U.S, Falconry Today, Literature and Film, English Language Words and Idioms Derived From Falconry