International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey

The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF) is an international federation of falconry organisations. According to its official website, it is 'a worldwide organization' dedicated to the preservation of the ancient art of falconry, defined as 'taking quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of trained birds of prey.' The IAF frames its mission around three linked goals: maintaining the traditional culture and practical skills of falconry, conserving raptors and their prey, and preserving natural habitats. It encourages falconry within the context of sustainable use of wildlife. The IAF operates as an accredited non-governmental organisation. Its website states that it provides advisory services to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee (NGO-90006) and is an accredited member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Its office is listed as being in Brussels, Belgium, and it maintains an online presence. The organisation describes itself as an international federation whose membership is limited to organisations representing falconry that possess legal personality, such as a formal constitution and membership structure, according to the laws and practices of their country. It also admits supporting organisations that are not traditional falconry clubs or associations. The IAF engages in international advocacy and knowledge exchange. Its website highlights events such as an IFC Sustainability Webinar on preventing bird electrocution on distribution lines, which brought together specialists from the World Bank and other bodies. It also references an upcoming IAF Annual General Meeting (AGM) in 2026, coordinated with a Chinese member organisation acting as host. The association publishes material on the history of falconry, including a summary of the 2005 Abu Dhabi Symposium on 'Falconry: a World Heritage,' and supports the project to have aspects of falconry recognised by UNESCO. As a federation rather than a commercial company, the IAF does not sell products; its 'offerings' are membership, advocacy, conservation guidance, and cultural heritage work. Its identity is bound up with the practice of falconry as living heritage and with the conservation of birds of prey. The organisation's public communications emphasise that falconry is 'not a museum piece, it is alive,' and that protecting minority and traditional forms of falconry is a way of safeguarding world cultural history.

The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey (IAF) is an international federation of falconry organisations. Its official website describes it as 'a worldwide organization' dedicated to the preservation of the ancient art of falconry, which it defines as 'taking quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of trained birds of prey.' The organisation's history is closely tied to the modern movement to safeguard falconry as living cultural heritage and to conserve birds of prey and their habitats. A key moment in the IAF's public narrative is the Abu Dhabi Symposium on 'Falconry: a World Heritage,' held in September 2005. According to the IAF's own history page, experts on many aspects of falconry met and gave presentations on their specialities, with falconry from all regions of the world represented. The symposium produced facts that were previously unknown to many participants restricted to learning from their own compatriots and from books written in their own language. The IAF summarises the event as a layman's overview and notes that the origins of falconry go back much further than writing, because the earliest written records describe a highly organised and technical falconry that must have taken many hundreds, if not thousands, of years to evolve. The IAF has since positioned itself as an accredited non-governmental organisation providing advisory services to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee (NGO-90006) and as an accredited member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Its office is listed in Brussels, Belgium, and it maintains an online presence at iaf.org. The organisation's history page emphasises that falconry is 'not a museum piece, it is alive,' and that the project to have aspects of falconry recognised by UNESCO encourages research into the social history of falconry, enriches the historical consciousness of falconers, and promotes and safeguards falconry for future generations. In more recent years, the IAF has continued to organise international meetings and webinars. Its website highlights an IFC Sustainability Webinar held on 11 June, titled 'Preventing Bird Electrocution on Distribution Lines: From Risk to Good Practice,' which brought together specialists from the World Bank and other bodies. It also announces an upcoming IAF Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for Monday, 28 September 2026, 10:00–18:00 CEST, coordinated with a Chinese member organisation acting as host. The IAF's membership structure is limited to organisations representing falconry that possess legal personality, such as a formal constitution and membership structure, according to the laws and practices of their country, as well as supporting organisations that are not traditional falconry clubs or associations.

• Abu Dhabi Symposium on 'Falconry: a World Heritage' held, bringing together falconry experts from around the world.

• IFC Sustainability Webinar 'Preventing Bird Electrocution on Distribution Lines: From Risk to Good Practice' held with World Bank specialists.

• IAF Annual General Meeting scheduled in China, hosted by a Chinese member organisation.

An accredited international NGO and federation representing falconry organisations worldwide, bridging cultural heritage preservation and raptor conservation.

1. 1International Association for Falconryiaf.org
2. 2A History of Falconry | International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Preyiaf.org
3. 3International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Preywikidata.org