New falcon trainer is a tough act to follow
A plane that mimics prey’s evasive flight manoeuvres promises to produce even faster falcons, and keep them safe
DUBAI // A new training device for falcons is making the world’s fastest animals even quicker, stronger and safer.
Peter Bergh has been a falconer for 16 years. He hopes his 1.2 kilogram plane will be adopted by mainstream falconry.
Remote-controlled mini planes are used to train the birds, with the lure flying behind. But the planes cannot replicate the evasive flight of prey, so the falcon’s training is limited.
In addition, the planes’ propellers can be lethal to a falcon if it overshoots the lure.
Dr Antonio Di Somma, a veterinarian and director of the Dubai Falcon Hospital, said the new device would save birds’ lives. “Many are injured with the old technology but, with Peter’s device with the engine covered, it’s much safer. I see about one to two injuries a week at the hospital during the hunting season [October to February] and about one death a month from this.”
Although hunting wild birds is illegal in the UAE and the houbara bustard – the much-prized prey of falcons and their owners, is now an endangered species – the sport is still popular as it is part of Bedouin tradition.
Now falconers travel to countries such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to allow the birds to seek out prey on the wing.
Mr Bergh has recorded falcons in dives at speeds of up to 389 kilometres per hour – far beyond the 100kph of the fastest-known land animal, the cheetah – and easily outpacing the up to 140kph of the training device. “Falconry is becoming more high tech. Now, what we can do is get bigger, fitter and stronger falcons more rapidly,” he said.
“Before, they were getting to a certain level of fitness but this new plane can train the bird much more comprehensively, developing more of its muscle groups, training it in different planes of motion and much more naturally.
“Just like humans, the falcons need to train their whole bodies. With the fixed-wing planes, the movement is very one dimensional, while this new technology brings in the twists and turns of natural flight, imitating real hunting and prey. With a winged plane you can’t make these serious manoeuvres. We are seeing the birds move in ways we’ve not seen them move before.”
Mr Bergh said the new vehicle, which is made of a type of foam, reinforced with spars of carbon fibre , is more efficient for the birds’ training, but also safer.
“There is the risk element with the propeller, so you don’t have the freedom of this new technology. There’s that danger aspect with the winged plane,” he said. “The fan on this is cased in hous-
‘ We are seeing the birds move in ways we’ve not seen them move before Peter Bergh Falconer
ing so the falcon can’t get to it.”
Having had 33 crash landings with his prototype, Mr Bergh said it was more resilient than the mini planes used before.
“It just absorbs crashes so you can really push the birds, take them low to the ground, do big movements,” he said.
Mark Williams, a falconer for almost 40 years, is also based in Dubai, working for a company that designs tracking devices for falcons, hawks and eagles.
He said the new device was safer and more efficient than anything he had seen and that it “mimics what happens in real life”.
“It’s incredibly good for a few reasons,” he said. “First and fore- most, it’s very safe. Up until now, we’ve been using the quad ‘copter and plane, and both pose potential hazards for training, especially in the early stages when the falcon’s trying to figure it out, but the purpose of both devices is to have the falcon give chase to build muscle and, of course, get rewarded until we switch to live quarry. This new device is incredibly safe and agile, and can do more than the two previous devices combined.”
So far, Mr Bergh only has his own prototype but he hopes that it can be manufactured and brought to market.