Boland Falconry Club

Raptors have been employed by man for, at least, the past 4000 years, making them one of the first species to be “domesticated” along with the dog and the horse.  The necessity to breed the birds in captivity did not arise until the collapse of the peregrine population as a result of DDT.  Since then (mid 1960s) the technology to breed raptors has been developed and refined. Worldwide, falconers have, since the 1960s, successfully bred various species of birds of prey.

“Falco domesticus” ????

“The Concise Oxford Dictionary” has two interesting definitions –

“domestic animal” – “kept by or living with man, fond of home life”

“domesticate” – “bring under human control, tame”

Another definition of “domestic” is – “an animal that readily breeds in captivity”.

By these definitions, what falconers in South Africa have achieved over the past three decades is create animals that in real terms should not be classified as “wild” anymore but domestic.

South Africans falconers have shared in this success. Each year more South Africans are having breeding successes with a variety of species. To date we have bred the following falconry species:

Peregrine Falcons (Indigenous and Exotic), Lanner Falcons, Red necked Falcons, Taita Falcons and various exotic falcons

African Goshawks, Black Sparrowhawks, Gabar Goshawks, Rufous-chested Sparrowhawks, Ovambo Sparrowhawks.