The National Trust is working with falconry organisations to trial Sport Falconry as a licensed activity on its land.
What is Sport Falconry?
Sport falconry is the flying of birds of prey to catch and kill a variety of legitimate quarry species. Although it is often assumed that it involves flying falcons (eg peregrines) to catch birds, from song birds to red grouse and corvids, in practice the majority of falconers fly larger birds of prey, such as harris hawks and goshawk, to catch rabbits and other small mammals.
Click here for information on organising falconry displays.
Where is Sport Falconry permitted?
1. Sport Falconry is only appropriate if there is no conflict with other Trust interests or objectives for the site.
Sport Falconry may not be compatible with some other land uses which the Trust wishes to promote in an area, such as the undisturbed public access, conservation of wildlife or game shooting.
In the case of nature conservation Sport Falconry might be particularly inappropriate on a nature reserve, where there are large aggregations of feeding birds which are not quarry species (eg waders or wildfowl in winter), where access may disturb rare species of animal (eg otter), or where a specific research or monitoring programme is being carried out.
2. Sport Falconry is not allowed where a specific decision has been made by Trust staff.
Decisions as to the appropriateness of Sport Falconry at a site are entirely a matter for the National Trust. Sport Falconry representatives have agreed not to challenge Trust decisions or to seek to establish precedents at one site which might be used to influence decisions at another.
Who may be granted a licence to practice Sport Falconry?
For the trial period licences are only being granted to individuals who are over 18 years of age and who are full members of a club affiliated to the Hawk Board. This is to ensure that falconers are subject to a code of conduct, approved by the Hawk Board, for the practice of falconry and the keeping of birds.
Applicants must demonstrate that they have appropriate insurance cover.
Licenses are issued to named individuals only and are not transferable.
The applicant must specify the area where he/she wishes to fly falcons and only one licence per area will be granted, ie once a licence has been granted to conduct Sport Falconry in an area, no more will be issued. Individuals may apply for a licence for another area however.
Licences are issued for one year only and are re-issued subject to monitoring - see below.
For an application form, contact the property or the regional office.
When is Sport Falconry permitted?
The normal season for flying birds at game species is the same as their shooting season and licences normally specify these limits. There is no closed season for Sport Falconry aimed at rabbits and other mammals.
Trust properties may, however, specify occasions or periods when falconry cannot be practised due to possible conflict with other Trust interests, such as popular visitor periods, property open days, lambing periods, bird breeding season, wintering bird populations or days when game shooting is taking place.
What quarry species may be hunted?
Falconers hunt only a small number of species, with each bird being trained to fly at a specific species. It is rare for this to have any detrimental impact on the total population size of the quarry species. Given the National Trust's conservation purposes, falconers may only hunt species which the Trust allows to be killed in connection with game shooting or pest control, namely:
- pheasant
- red-legged partridge (not where grey partridge is present)
- carrion crow
- hooded crow (Northern Ireland only)
- wood pigeon
- magpie
- mallard
- rabbit
- grey squirrel
- brown rat
This list may be modified from time to time.
Monitoring by the Trust
During this trial period the impact of reintroducing falconry is being assessed. Property staff may monitor different aspects according to the species/conditions on site but will generally cover:
- any significant change in plant or animal populations;
- any physical damage;
- any impacts on visitors, neighbours or tenants.
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