Falconry, a pastime of royals, has evolved into an attraction at Jurong BirdPark. Alexis Ong talks with Evelyn Koh about the pleasures – and hazards – of working with birds of prey 

How did you end up in falconry, having done an IT/ multimedia studies degree? 
I first started in BirdPark’s marketing communications. Now that I am more focused towards falconry, I see through a designer’s eyes, the beauty of these birds of prey. I learn to appreciate their habits, their prowess and antics. All these, in fact, I have appreciated so much more because of my creative skills as a visual artist. 

Do your birds actually pursue prey during the falconry shows? No. Our birds are conditioned during their training. We reinforce this: that the food source is provided by us falconers. There is no need for them to pursue live prey. 

Have you ever sustained work-related injuries (had an eye pecked out, etc)? A few scratches here and there, but not enough to discourage me. Also, our intensive training requires understanding our birds and their behaviour. We get familiar with them and even call them nicknames. While it is natural to get scratched, birds – usually when threatened or stunned – involuntarily react. There are no assurances of perfect falconry training no matter how much we know them. 

What kind of obstacles do you face in such a male-dominated field? 
The job is male-dominated because we have big birds. One needs a lot of energy, strength, and height – while not a key issue – will help as these birds are heavy and can dwarf you with their wingspan. However, my discipline requires me to be treated as ‘one of the guys’. So this has taught me to be tougher, able to stand the weather (rain or shine), work late, manage big birds, feed them, participate in catching them, weigh them and more. 

Do you still consider falconry a sport, as the falcons aren’t technically hunting anything? During the medieval period when the sport was at its peak, people and birds hunted live game and took pride in it. Today, anyone who has the passion, discipline and opportunity can practise falconry. It is not exclusive to royalty. In countries where falconry is popular, falconers fly their birds to a lure and it becomes a game. 

How do you feel about more people using buzzards in falconry today – do you find it undignified for a ‘royal’ sport? Buzzards are commonly referring to hawks, which can be a derogatory term for certain birds of prey. It can also refer to vultures. It is in fact common for people to use ‘buzzards’ in falconry today. It is not undignified in any way. 

Have you raised any of your birds from eggs? 
No, we do not raise the birds from the eggs ourselves. Parents incubate all eggs and after they hatch, raise the chicks themselves. The chicks are removed from the nest after two weeks and handed over to the Breeding and Research Centre (BRC) to be hand-raised. After a month, when the chick is able to eat on its own, it will be brought back to the Hawk Centre for us to look after. 

You’re quite petite – has falconry helped you to develop insanely strong arms? What is the equivalent – having a cement block land on your arm? One needs to apply the correct handling techniques to carry them high above the shoulder. Also, not all of the birds of prey are big; sometimes we handle smaller, manageable ones – for example the scops-owl or Lugger falcon. But for the heavier ones, yes, initially I can feel their weight. Often we are too busy observing them that the weight is lost in the process. 

Do you consider it good luck if a bird craps on you? While I have heard that it is ‘good luck’, my job frequently exposes me to bird droppings. If it indeed brings me good luck, then this explains why I got this job!