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Falconry is the art or sport of training raptors (birds of prey) to hunt or pursue game.
Traditional views of falconry state that the art started in Asia, however archaeologists have found evidence of falconry in the Middle East dating back to the 16th century BC. Though these renderings of raptors atop a clenched fist are, according to some researchers, purely religious, it puts a shadow of doubt on those traditional views.
Falconry is currently practiced in many countries around the world.
In the United States, falconry is legal in all states except Hawaii. A falconer must have state and federal licenses to practice the sport. Among North American raptors, some of the most popular birds used in falconry are the peregrine falcon, the goshawk, and the Harris hawk.
Owls and eagles are sometimes used in North American and European falconry. In Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, the golden eagle is used exclusively, hunting game as large as fox and wolf.
Peregrine falcons were removed from the United States' endangered species list in 1999, but still may not be taken from the wild. All peregrines used in falconry are captive-bred from the progeny of falcons taken prior to the enactment of the U. S. Endangered Species Act.
In the UK, Falconry is permitted without a special licence, but only using captive-bred birds. All birds are ringed and registered, and can be DNA tested to verify their origins.
In Australia, although falconry is not specifically illegal, it is illegal to keep any type of bird of prey in captivity. The only exemption is when the birds are kept for purposes of rehabilitation (for which a licence must still be held), circumstances under which the practice can be an effective tool used in returning a bird to health.
Historically, falconry was a popular sport, and status symbol, among both the nobles of medieval Europe and feudal Japan as well, where it is called takagari. Eggs and chicks of birds of prey were quite rare and expensive, and since the process of raising and training a hawk or falcon takes a lot of time, money, and space, it was more or less restricted to the noble classes. In Japan, there were even strict restrictions on who could hunt which sorts of animals, and where, based on one's ranking within the samurai class. In art, and in other aspects of culture, such as literature, falcony remained a status symbol long after the sport was no longer popularly practiced. Eagles and hawks displayed on the wall could represent the noble himself, metaphorically, as noble and fierce. In addition, woodblock prints or paintings of falcons or falconry scenes could be purchased by wealthy commoners, and displayed as the next best thing to partaking in the sport itself, again representing a certain degree of nobility.
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