Falconry is as deeply ingrained in Emirati culture as date palms, horses and pearl diving – it is more than just a sport, it’s an integral part of the country’s history. We take a tour of the world’s first public clinic dedicated to the care of these majestic birds – the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

In the middle of a sandy expanse of deserted land in Al Falah, between Khalifa City B and the city’s airport, sits a lush oasis of palms, bushes and sympathetic single-storey buildings. This is an oasis in more ways than one, for this is the home of the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital where the country’s falcon lovers bring their beloved feathered friends for yearly check-ups, medical care and sometimes just for a holiday.

The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital may be a state of the art facility specialising in the treatment of these magnificent birds, but it is also the only falcon hospital in the world that is open to the public and we’re about to be given a guided tour.

Pulling in through the main gates of the compound, we drive around the large stone falcon that takes pride of place in the centre of the courtyard and park up in front of the main hospital building. Entering the cool lobby, we are greeted with a cup of traditional Arabic coffee and a plate of delicious fresh dates as we take a seat and wait for our guide to arrive.

A few minutes later we are joined by the bubbly Maribel who’s going to be showing us around and we’re led into the first part of the Falcon Museum where our tour will start.

It’s a dark, wood-paneled room filled with pictures and charts chronicling the history of falcons and hunting in the UAE, as well as numerous display cabinets containing stuffed examples of this impressive looking bird.

Maribel starts off with the basics, explaining that historically there are three main breeds of falcon used for hunting in the Middle East – the peregrine, saker and gyr.

Peregrines are the smallest of all falcons but are also the quickest, capable of reaching speeds in excess of 300kmh. Saker falcons are synonymous with the UAE as they are the national emblem of the country and are the best birds for hunting. According to Maribel, once a saker has spotted its prey it will not stop until the prey has been caught. Finally, gyr falcons are the largest and considered by many to be among the most beautiful.

Maribel tells us that although hunting is now banned in the Emirates, falcon enthusiasts regularly take hunting holidays abroad to places like Kazakhstan and Pakistan and the birds themselves are still treated as feathered members of the family – to the extent that they even have their own passports and their own seats on planes. Showing us an actual passport, we can see that it is pretty much identical to the human variety – the only difference being that there is no photo of the bird because it’s appearance will change every year as it sheds and regrows feathers.

The next port of call on our tour is the part we’ve really been waiting for – the hospital proper and the first chance to actually see the birds up close and personal.

We’re taken into one of the treatment rooms, which basically resembles what you would expect to see in a traditional human hospital – lots of clean white surfaces, an array of complicated looking medical equipment and a number of blue-gowned staff. It’s only when you look at the little rows of green benches on the floor that you realise the patients here are a little bit different. Perched quite contentedly and quietly atop these benches are row upon row of leather-hooded falcons.

These are just the birds that are waiting for treatment – the hospital can accommodate more than 200 falcons at the same time, housed in individual air-conditioned rooms, and treats about 6,000 patients a year.

We’ve arrived just in time to watch a particularly beautiful white and grey bird get its talons clipped and beak shaved – basically a mani/pedi for falcons.

One of the lab assistants dons a leather glove and untethers the bird as it calmly hops off the perch and onto his hand. We gather round as he places the falcon on one of the tabletops and carefully places a mask over its head to administer a gentle anesthetic. Constantly monitoring the equipment, he softly strokes the bird’s chest as it gradually goes limp.

When it is completely under, he takes one of its feet and expertly trims the talons with what look like conventional nail clippers before using a hand-held buffing device to smooth the rough edges. He then does the same with the other foot, repeats the process on the beak and finishes off by rubbing in a moisturising cream. It is very important that falcons have their talons clipped regularly to prevent them injuring themselves.

The whole process takes less than ten minutes and as we wait for the bird to come round, another assistant shows us the hospital’s extensive range of ‘spare parts’ – drawer upon drawer of replacement feathers – and explains how they can repair and replace damaged feathers using a combination of pins, cocktail sticks and glue.

Maribel then asks us if we want to feed one of the birds and nervously we accept. Slipping our hand into a protective leather glove, we hold our arm out as one of the falcons is transferred into our control. The bird is deceptively heavy and we can feel the strength of its talons through the glove as it grips our fingers. We’re handed a whole frozen quail from the freezer and when it’s placed in our hand, Maribel advises us to hold on tight. The falcon’s burka (leather hood) is removed and within seconds it’s tucking into lunch. It’s a good thing we’ve got a good grip because the bird’s powerful beak and talons are more than a match for the quail’s flesh and bones as it tears it to shreds almost effortlessly.

Feeding and handling the birds are the highlight of the tour and although we spend another couple of hours being shown around the grounds, aviaries and other buildings, it is this experience that will stay with us. When these beautiful raptors land on your arm and look deep into your eyes, it is truly magical and surely makes the Falcon Hospital one of the must-visit places in Abu Dhabi.

For more information, visit www.falconhospital.com or call Mr. Amer on 050 666 0739 to book a tour.

Jon Muller

History of falconry



For centuries, indeed up until the formation of the UAE and the discovery of oil, falconry had been an integral part of desert life.
Peregrine and saker falcons were used by Bedouin people to hunt for hares and houbara to complement what could sometimes be a meager diet. The falcons were trapped during their migration over the Arabian Peninsula in the autumn season and released back to the wild at the end of the hunting season in spring.

Hunting expeditions were also frequently used as a way for the tribal sheikhs to ‘tour’ their territory and keep in touch with the latest developments in areas that were otherwise incommunicado. The sheikh would hunt during the day, then a desert majlis would be held around the campfire in the evenings.

Although hunting for food is now banned in the country, falconry is still a popular sport among a sizable Emirati population with UAE nationals making up 50 percent of the world’s falconers.

In order to protect and further falconry, the Emirates Falconers’ Club was set up in 2001. The first of its kind in the Arab world, the club aims to promote the sprit of sustainable hunting and spreading awareness on the traits and habits of falcons, their life phases, their origins, and migrations.

If you want to get involved or simply want to find out more, visit the ‘Emirates Falconers’ Club’ facebook page.