HoTxBLoG

For hunting purpose Kazakhs catch and train Golden Eagles, mighty birds of prey common throughout the Central Asia. These huge birds weight up to 6.5 kilograms with wingspan of seven or eight feet.

The talons or claws on an eagle’s toes are curved and razor-sharp for catching and holding their prey. This gave eagles the name raptor which comes from a Latin word “rapere” meaning to grip or grasp.

Eagles are “birds of prey,” which means they hunt for their food. Unlike other birds, which eat seeds or insects flying short distance, eagles fly great distances in order to find game. Therefore eagles mastered the skill of soaring. They ride the warm flows of air and can speed up to twenty miles per hour almost without effort.

The eagle’s eyesight is especially remarkable. With vision about eight times sharper than human, they can spot a fox or rabbit up to a mile away.

Usually Kazakh hunters go for female birds as they one third heavier than males and much more aggressive. Eagles can live up to 50 years but most hunters keep the birds for about 10 years and then release them back into the wild.