26th August 2008
Falcons at The Bird Market in Sharjah
Thesiger, the first white man to cross
the Rub Al Khali (The 'Empty Quarter' - the desert in Saudi Arabia which is
perhaps the most inhospitable area on earth) with his Bedouin friends on
camel back was once asked if he thought any Arabs of the current generation
would repeat his feat. He is stated to have replied that modern Arabs have
forgotten how to ride camels and have learnt how to cross deserts in 4x4's
instead! In this context, I had assumed that the modern day youth would not
be familiar with the art of falconry. It appears that I may have been wrong
in this assumption. Arabs, most of whom are from Bedouin stock, have
traditionally loved their horses, falcons and saluki dogs. A visit to the
Bird Market will reassure you that the modern Arab youth still appear to
still love the falcon.
The bird market of
Sharjah is housed in a decrepit block of buildings within walking distance
of Rolla Square.
As one enters the cool
bird souk, the smell of a hundred different animals and birds assail the
senses. However, instead of a cacophony of noises that one would expect, it
is eerily silent. The birds probably seem to have been coaxed into
submission and await their fate silently but warily.
One can see many
colourful birds and animals packed into the little shops here. Space being
at a premium, everything is crowded and congested and no one apparently
gives any thought to the cruelty the animals are made to go through.
The most valuable birds
here, as far as I know, are the falcons. These magnificent birds are
probably captured in places like Azerbaijan and brought illegally into the
UAE (the Bird Market is just a stone's throw from where the dhows anchor);
there appears to be no checking of cargo.
CITES regulations
probably go unheeded.
Most of the
traders here appear to be non-Arabs. They are probably from India,
Bangaladesh, Pakistan, Iran etc.
Some shops
are dedicated to falcons, which probably fetch the best prices.
Falcons are very quiet
birds. You will never hear them make a sound. They sit there silently,
hooded, tied to the wooden slats they sit on, suffering their fate. I have
often walked through the bird market early in the morning, when the shop
keepers haven't yet arrived and shops are closed. Air conditioners whir
noisily in summer, keeping the inmates cool. On several occasions I have
seen a falcon lying dead on the floor. Their owner probably had no clue that
the bird was unwell.....it died a silent, depressing death, yet never once
uttering a shriek of complaint.
Most of the birds are 'hooded' (that is; their eyes are
covered) since this calms them down. Some of the birds sit without hoods.
There are falcons here of various sizes and shapes and colors, including
what appears to be a baby falcon - looking miserable on its perch. The
hooded birds sit perfectly still whereas the unhooded ones eye the strangers
warily.
One often sees
UAE
nationals in their traditional garb in the market examining the falcons.
The Arabs exhibit no fear of the birds and boldly walk up to
them (sometimes even sit next to them). Maybe this is to intimidate the
birds into submission. The Arabs stare at the bird which after a while looks
away. They check the wings of the birds, its talons, the underside of its
feet etc. Then the Arabs stroke the birds breast and then pull the birds on
to their arm. The bird's stance is now closely examined.
Outside in the corridor, turbaned Pathans and Baluchis walk around with
falcons on their arm. These are birds that have been recently caught and
that are for sale (the 'grey market', so to speak!)
Stay tuned till my next blog!
TO BLOG HOME PAGE
