Bedouins and Their Birds | God's World News
Bedouins and Their Birds
Jet Balloon
Posted: May 01, 2020

Is that a brother? Or a bird? In Bedouin clans, falcons aren’t just pets. They’re part of the family. 

Historically, Bedouins were Arab people who traveled from place to place in the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. They herded goats and camels. Bedouins were always on the move, using the Sun and stars to navigate. They overcame tough living conditions in the desert. They built tents from camel skins. Their expert tracking skills told them who had crossed the sand. And they relied on falcons as one way to find food in the dry landscape. The sharp-eyed birds could nab faraway prey out of rifle range. 

Today, few Bedouins live as nomads. But many still cherish their falcons. They hunt with the birds for fun instead of survival. But for a falcon, the work is the same as it has been since creation. God made falcons with incredible vision and hunting ability. Some can even see mouse urine while flying high above a field! Instead of killing with their talons, they can snap prey’s spinal cords with their notched beaks. Falcons can kill creatures as small as rabbits and, working together, they can take down animals as large as gazelles.

How does all this help a person in need of dinner? A person can capture a falcon and tame it. The taming process takes about four weeks. The bird will perch on the person’s arm. Little by little, the falcon grows used to his or her voice. It starts to rely on the person for food. Then when the falcon hunts, it grabs its prey, but this time for the master.

Training a falcon to hunt takes much longer. A falcon master doesn’t use force to train a bird. He or she slowly wins the falcon’s loyalty. In the end, the master has a great tool . . . and a friend.