March Feature: Hawks The residents of Cap Bon, on the north-eastern tip of Tunisia, facing Sicily, are passionate about birds. But that passion is now threatening some of the very species they prize so highly, and efforts have begun to persuade the locals and other Tunisians to change their ways. This Mediterranean landscape of pine-clad hills, rolling dunes and unspoilt coastline is the kingdom of the sparrow hawk, but that is a bird handled with extreme care in Cap Bon, where falconry is almost an art form. Every year, between 15 March and 15 April, men leave work, home, and families to occupy hillside hides where migrating sparrow hawks are netted for training by falconers, to be used mainly in hunting partridge. The activity is strictly controlled, with permits required and a maximum haul of four hawks per person per year. Learn MORE About Hawks... Listening To The Birdsong Species Information Resources

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