Glossary of Falconers Language

Falconers use their own language to describe falconry equipment and birds of prey indeed in the glossary of falconers language you will find many strange terms and words used by falconers, we hope you enjoy learning the falconers language


  • Accipiter - The short winged birds of prey such as Goshawks.
  • Anklets - The leather round a bird of preys legs through which you thread the jesses
  • Austringer - Person that hunts with and flies accipiters.
  • Bate - when the bird of prey leaps off your fist or from its perch
  • Bind - when a bird of prey nails prey or quarry and holds it
  • Block - A block of usually turned wood or plastic with a spike on one end that sits in the ground to teather birds of prey usually falcons
  • Bow perch - A perch with a bow shaped top, covered in leather or rubber with a metal ring that slides all the way over the bow
  • Brancher - An almost fully feathered bird of prey that cant yet fly
  • Buteo - A broad winged hawk, for example the Common Buzzard
  • Cadge - Used in medieval times by the Kings falconer, a 'basket perch' capable of holding many birds of prey
  • Cast - Several meaning, a pellet regurgitated by birds of prey containing bones and fur, two or more birds of prey flow together and to hold a bird of prey securely, used to cope the beak and talons etc.
  • Casting jacket - A roll of material with usually velcro to assist in casting a bird of prey
  • Cope - To file down the beak and or talons of a bird of prey
  • Creance - A long training line
  • Crop - Vascular sac were food is first digested.
  • Dummy bunny - In the UK man made objects shaped to look like a bunny are used to drag behind ones self to encourage the bird of prey to hunt rabbits
  • Enter - When a bird of prey nails quarry
  • Eyas - A bird of prey taken from nest before fledgling.
  • Eyrie - An Eagles nest site.
  • Hack - Putting the bird of prey in a huge netted area allowing it to fly free but contained to build up survival skills and fitness
  • Hard Penned - The bird of prey has grown all its feathers
  • Hood - A leather hood used to cover the head of birds of prey usually falcons to give them a sense of security
  • Imping - Cutting an old feather onto a broken feather
  • Imprint - Allowing the bird of prey to 'think' its human, taken from its parents at an early age.
  • Intermewed - A bird of prey that has moulted in captivity.
  • Jesses - Thin leather used on the legs of the bird of prey to hold it securely.
  • Leash - A length of rope used to teather the bird of prey
  • Lure - In the UK man made birds are used often of leather body and birds wings to encourage the bird of prey to hunt birds
  • Manning - Spending many hours with a bird of prey in order to tame it
  • Mantle - When a bird of prey covers its food from you and other threats with its wings
  • Mews - Used to house birds of prey
  • Nailed - When the bird of prey uses its talons as a weapon
  • Pitch - The height a bird of prey reaches above you
  • Preen - When a bird of prey cleans its self
  • Quarry - Prey of the bird of prey
  • Rangle - Small stones fed to the bird of prey to assist the crop
  • Rouse - When the bird of prey shakes its self and fluffs up also to pass droppings before flight
  • Slip - To let the bird of prey fly after prey
  • Stoop - When a bird of prey goes into a dive
  • Talons - The very sharp and powerful feet on a bird of prey
  • Telemetry - Tracking gear for birds of prey
  • T perch - A tall perch used to train birds of prey to fly to the fist
  • Weather - To harden the bird of prey to the elements
  • Yarak - The mind set of birds of prey hunting.

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