Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital Tour: In close quarters with birds of prey

Wearing a long white robe and a head-cover, a young Emirati man with a stubble is introducing the bygone nomadic life of his ancestors. He, the guide, and we, the tourists, stand forming a circle. At the centre of the human ring is a glass showcase with several sculpted falcons. I am in Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital—a government hospital dedicated to the treatment and upkeep of falcons.

Established in 1999 as a government subsidized falcon veterinary centre, eventually it delved deeper into research and development of medicines. In 2006 the falcon hospital was capable of providing care to all species of birds. In 2007 it opened a facility to provide luxury hospitality experiences to pet cats and dogs. They later expanded their operations to include every service that all small pets (rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, turtles) require. The same year the Falcon Hospital also opened its door to tourism.

Arabs and Falcons

The wealth, comfort and fanciful materialistic pleasures that the modern Emiratis enjoy are uber-recent. Just about five decades back the Emiratis were divided into various tribes. Most of them led a simple but tough life along the fringes and depths of the Empty Quarters desert. The Bedouins were sand dwellers who camped in tents and valued their animals. Apart from cattle animals, they also possessed falcons and saluki dogs. The dogs and falcons were trained to hunt in-sync with their human owners. While hunting animals in their natural habitats, falconry was put to everyday use.

Falconry is not novel to the Arabian Peninsula. Early accounts of humans and raptors hunting small birds together date back to around 2000 BCE. Some records speak of its prevalence in the Egyptian Empire; others say it has spread from the Mongolian highlands. Some resources point out that falconry has been present in the Arabian Peninsula itself since the last 4000 years. Later, when the locals here embraced Islam, it was important for them to eat only halal meat. The way the falcons kill their prey matched the Arabs’ exact needs.

For the modern Arabs, falconry is not a requirement anymore but a traditional sport and indulgence – one that requires wealth. Interested parties, who can afford it, keep pet falcons. The birds bred and raised in captivity need regular grooming and maintenance. The ones who participate in modern falconry require even more intensive care. The sheikhs owning falcons have their own private falcon care units but for ordinary citizens Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is the one and only government-run place to get their falcons treated and groomed in a pocket-friendly price.

The hospital sees a surge of patients, as many as 100-150 falcons per day during the hunting season of September-March. Critically injured ones are kept admitted in private AC rooms—there are 200 such rooms. The hospital has an ICU and even an emergency telephone number operating 24×7.

Operation Theatre in Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

I am taken to the operation theatre of the hospital. Here, several falcons sit calmly with a hood on, covering their eyes. They wait patiently for their turn. All pet falcons are fitted with microchips. A ring attached to their limb mentions their owner’s name and phone number.

On the operation table, an Indian veterinarian treats an anesthetized falcon—the bird is here for its regular check-up. The doctor trims its talons. Talons of wild falcons wear out over time due to their daily adventures and struggles for survival. Pet falcons raised in luxury have difficulty dealing with their overgrown talons. They cannot sit properly and often end up injuring themselves. The doctor also shows us a special falcon shoe with a suction hole.

He polishes the bird’s beak and shows us its nostrils, ear openings and minute downy feathers on its wings. He replaces some of its broken feathers with new ones. Barbeque sticks from the supermarket are used in this fixture process. One by one, we pat on the unconscious falcon’s head. Just when he is about to wake up, the eye-hood is put back on.

The guide has been very amusing throughout; so when he says that most of these captive falcons have passports, I laugh it off. Then he shows one such passport to every tourist in the room. I am still convinced it is just a part of the show to engage his audience and think about his incredible sense of humour. It takes me quite some time to accept the truth in it. The falcons indeed own unique passports. The first page of it contains the owner’s information and the second page contains the falcon’s unique biological information. They fly in airplanes to various European, Middle-eastern and Central Asian countries to take part in falconry competitions.

I cannot help but notice the irony in it—winged beings forced to use aeroplanes to fly. At least I am happy to know they are not put into boxes, but granted a seat beside its owner with its eye-hood on. The falcons are calm when their sight is blocked by a hood.

Still in the operation room, a member of the staff removes the hood of the gentlest falcon in the hospital. He is then delicately placed on a daring tourists’ hand. I am petrified, but decide to move out of my comfort zone and let the staff place the falcon on my hand. Falcons should be touched from the front side and never from the back, as that is how they stealthily kill their prey.

A while later, another falcon is freed from its hood and fed a defrosted quail. Falcons can eat as much as 10% of their body-weight. A brave tourist volunteers to place the bird on her hand and feed it. I am simultaneously jealous of her courage and scared for her!

Molting Tent of Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

An unfamiliar stench hits my nostrils. As I approach the molting tent of the falcons, I see every tourist cover their nose. On the artificial perches of the carefully made niches in the green tent, falcons lounge. Standing on the sand floor, I listen to the guide.

Falcons shed their old feathers and regrow new feathers at a particular time every year. This is the reason why a single falcon would look differently throughout its lifetime. It is also the reason why falcons don’t have their photographs on their passports. Moulting falcons can be dropped off here by their owners for a maximum of six months at a stretch (for 4000 Dirhams). If the owners don’t visit their respective falcons frequently though, the birds end up forgetting them altogether!

The feathers dropped here are collected and reused by the hospital staff to treat future cases of broken feathers.

Museums Documenting the Falconry

There are two museums in the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital. Our tour started from one and ended at the other. They have installations of various breeds of falcons, particularly the Peregrine, Saker and Gyr — ones most valued among the sheikhs. Here I learn that the females are stronger than the males and mostly used in falconry. They lay 3-5 eggs yearly, the babies stay with their mother for about 8 months before parting ways.

Photos of famous people with falcons hang on the wall. In between the photos hang rifles, an inseparable part of nomadic Bedouin life. The shelves are populated with numerous trophies that the hospital has won overtime.

In Abu Dhabi, falcons even participate in beauty pageants. Falcons are mountain birds who come down to the deserts in winter. In a bid to increase wild falcon populations, every year Peregrine and Saker falcons are taken to the highlands and set free. They are fitted with satellite transmitters to monitor flight paths and provide data and survival rates.

Beyond Falconry: Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital’s stray adoption programme

I see people cluster in the Shaheen Conference Centre, a dedicated space in the Falcon Hospital to host official meetings. Some guests dart into the dining space, a typical Arabian majlis seating arrangement has been made.

Outside there are some more falcons in cages, along with various other birds. They are injured birds incapable of sustaining a life in the wild. Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital also manages a stray cat and dog shelter. Residents interested in adopting a pet can check the hospital’s dedicated page where they upload the profiles of cats and dogs looking for permanent homes.

I have learnt so much since landing in Abu Dhabi barely 24 hours ago, but more knowledge and experiences are yet to come. I leave the premises of the hospital wondering what surprises my next destination holds.

To watch my Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital video on Youtube please click here.

Were you aware of falconry? Have you been to Abu Dhabi and missed visiting the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital? Comment below and let me know!

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Disclaimer: Tania was hosted by Abu Dhabi Tourism Board. All thoughts and opinions expressed in the post are of her own.

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