An introductory guide to falconry and training your first bird. Does the sight of a soaring bird of prey make you catch your breath — Does the world of falconry intrigue you — Perhaps you are considering taking up this ancient sport — Well, don't at least not until you read Hawking and Falconry for Beginners, a comprehensive, and easily understood guide for beginners. New falconers must ensure they are prepared for the long-term and resounding commitment entailed in practising this sport to a high standard. This book will guide you through the basics of choosing an appropriate species to begin, building suitable accommodation, equipping your new bird, ensuring proper diet and care and training your bird to fly free and hunt quarry. This is no small undertaking; beginners must be prepared for this sometimes overwhelming, but always satisfying sport. Anyone taking on this commitment without being fully prepared runs the risk of not only causing distress to their bird, but also jeopardizing the future of this sport. So as a new falconer, it is your responsibility to practice the sport to a high standard. This guidebook for beginners will show you how.

Adrian Hallgarth's profile page

A.J. Hallgarth was inspired to engage in the art of falconry after reading a A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines. Growing up in an industrial city in North England, he spent much of his free time learning about falconry from books until he proclaimed himself an expert at the tender age of eight. After much determination and convincing, he was finally able to acquire his first bird - a kestrel, with defiant eyes, the bloom on feather and a sharp menacing-looking beak. Adrian and Ruby started their training together, and fueled the fire that has kept him a practicing falconer for the majority of his life. As a professional falconry instructor, he has taught hundreds of students and has worked in many countries. He and his wife run Phoenix Falconry in Scotland, where they, along with their team of instructors, manage an impressive collection of more than 140 birds.