Falconry was a popular medieval sport where trained falcons would be used to hunt prey. Wealthy people kept falcons as status symbols and would bring them everywhere. To train a falcon, a young bird would be taken from its nest and hand-fed to become comfortable with its owner. Falcons were hooded and had bells attached to their legs to make them easier to track during hunting. Owners wore thick leather gloves for protection when handling their falcons.

1. Falconry
By:
Molly Cepek

2. • Falconry was a sport for the very rich and a
way for the poor to get fresh meat. Falconry’s
popularity became a status symbol in the
medieval society, but it was a rather expensive
pleasure. People brought their pet falcon
everywhere, perched on their hand or wrist. A
few couples even got married with their
falcons perched on their fists. Lastly the
falcon can fly up to 200 miles per hour.

3. • First you find a falcon’s nest and take a falcon
from its nest when it is young.

4. • Females are mostly chosen over males
because they are more ferocious. They are
more ferocious because they protect their
young.

5. • Then you would hand feed it and let it live
with you in your house so it would be more
comfortable with you.

6. • The equipment used for training is a hood.
This is put over the falcon’s head to keep the
bird in a calm state. A bell that went on the
bird’s legs so you knew where the bird was
from a long distance away. Other materials are
perches, leashes, swivels and jesses.

7. • The owner of the falcon HAS to wear a thick
leather glove for protection when handling
the falcon.