Falcons

United Arab Emirates17 November 2003Draft

In the United Arab Emirates, falcons represent the core of heritage and local culture. Emirates Post, as part of its commitment to the preservation of Emarati culture, issued a set of special stamps in four denominations on the different types of falcons, in coordination with Dubai Falcon Hospital. Peregrine Falcon The peregrine has an almost worldwide presence, excluding the Antarctic. Their great powers of flight have enabled the peregrines to establish nesting population as far as the Arctic and South Africa, and some of them migrate to the Gulf area for breeding. Hybrid Falcon Cross breeding techniques have been used to produce superior species of hybrid falcons that are bigger, faster and more agile, without the weak qualities of normal falcons. Gyr Falcon The Gyr Falcons are the largest and fastest in the world, and Arab falconers have been attracted by their speed, power and size. The Gyr falcon is an Arctic dwelling species and therefore cannot be adapted for long-term survival out of its natural habitat. Its immunity against disease decreases and it quickly perishes upon direct exposure to the midday desert sun. The breeding area in the Arctic stretches from upper Alaska to Greenland in the Western hemisphere and Scandinavia to Siberia in the Eastern hemisphere. Souvenir sheet: none. Size: 30 x 40 mm in sheets of 50 stamps.