Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital: Review, tour prices & opening times

The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital offers two tours per day, and tours with hotel pick-up cost from US$75. This review shows why the falcon hospital is so unusual.

What is the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital?

The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is, as the name suggests, a hospital for falcons. However, until you visit, you don’t quite understand how treasured falcons are in Emirati culture.

It’s one of the best things to do in Abu Dhabi on an Abu Dhabi stopover.

How to get to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

The easiest way to get to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is on an organised tour. A falcon hospital tour with hotel pick up and drop off costs US$75 at the time of writing. Bookings should be made online.

The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is just off Sweihan Road to the east of Abu Dhabi International Airport. It’s a 12 minute drive from the airport or a 39km drive from the city centre.

Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital opening times

If making your own way to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, the tour times are at 10am and 2pm daily. See the hospital website to book independently.

Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital tour review

Inside the waiting room, several Emiratis in traditional dress are lovingly stroking their loved ones. In Abu Dhabi, falcons are treated as part of the family, and the birds have hoods over their eyes to keep them calm before they go in for their check-up.

When one gets a bit too excitable and does its business all over the floor, his owner leaps into action and scoops it up. That sample will be required to get the medical certificate that allows the bird to travel.

Falconry in Abu Dhabi

Falconry is a long-standing tradition in Abu Dhabi. They come here during the migration season, and historically Bedouins would trap migratory falcons then use them for hunting. Taming and training is not easy – falconers have to have falcon on their arm 24 hours a day for 10 to 14 days, passing the bird to another member of the family when their arm tires.

However, despite the long heritage, hunting with falcons is now prohibited in Abu Dhabi. So keen falconers – and there are many – have to go somewhere that hunting is allowed. That’s usually Pakistan, Kazakhstan or Morocco.

This can lead to the absurd situation of beloved falcons getting a first or business class seat on a plane to themselves, pampered like a first born son. Each bird has its own passport – but that’s no use without the medical certificate.

When did the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital open?

The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital was established in 1999, and treats 50 to 100 falcons a day. And if the waiting room is a little on the odd side, the examination room is incredibly bizarre.

The patients line up in tow on little benches covered in an astroturf-like material. Their heads are covered by hoods, and they look for all the world like they’re queuing in the falcon equivalent of the Post Office.

They all have to be weighed, while some get endoscopies to check for fungal infections. There’s also an intensive care unit at the back.

But for most, it’s about having the feathers checked and the talons clipped. In the wild, the talons would naturally be worn down by rocks. For tamed, trained falcons, there’s not enough opportunity for that wearing down process. So the doctors at the hospital have to get clipping.

Clipping falcons in Abu Dhabi

One picks up a falcon from the bench and brings it over to the specially designed table. He puts a near-conical chamber over the bird’s head and gas is released until it goes to sleep. The doctor spreads the wings – the feathers are really soft to touch – then clips the talons and files them down with a mini-sander.

They also show the process they go through to fix damaged wings. Wooden sticks from a supermarket are used, and replacement feathers are effectively superglued onto them.

A few minutes later, after the examination is finished and the groggy falcon begins to wake up. She flaps her wings, and generally stomps around showing her discontent. But it’s worth it, girl – you can now go hunting, and fly in the posh seats on the way…