Overview

Falconry is the practice of hunting with birds of prey such as falcons or hawks. There is evidence to suggest that falconry was practiced in Assyria (present-day Iraq and Turkey) as early as the eighth century B.C. It reached a peak in popularity in Europe during the Middle Ages. One of the main participants falconry was Frederick II (1194-1250), a king of Germany and Sicily crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1220. Despite being one of the most politically powerful people in central Europe, Frederick found time to be an enthusiastic falconer and observer of birds. He authored a book on falconry titled De Arte Venandi cum Avibus (On the art of hunting with birds). This book was unusual in that it was based almost entirely on the author's own observations, rather than on the statements of other...