Falconry is one of humanity's oldest hunting traditions, involving the training of birds of prey to hunt in partnership with humans, with complex welfare implications for the birds.
Falconry welfare sits on a spectrum from excellent to poor depending on individual practitioner standards. Well-practiced falconry involves birds that fly freely, hunt naturally, and maintain healthy body weight. Poor practice involves permanent tethering, inadequate flight, inappropriate diet, and birds that are physiologically stressed. Welfare concerns include: tethering preventing flight expression, social isolation, and the stress of transport and public display. The best falconry practitioners view their birds as working partners with genuine welfare needs, not mere tools. Regulatory certification requirements for falconers have improved average standards in many countries.