GOLDEN EAGLE FESTIVAL TOUR

Hunting with Golden Eagle is one of the most unique features of the Kazakh life. The hunter is named Kusbegi (Eagle training) or Berkutchi (Eagle Hunter). The experience of wild birds training was gained by Kazakh Kusbegi by centuries, the secrets were impacted from the father to the son and kept deep secret. At the present time we can meet few people with such name. These masters have innate gift of wild birds training. For hunting they tame falcons, golden eagles and eagles.

Eagles used to live and make their nest normally on high and colder areas of Altai mountains. Height of Eagles up to 95cm, wingspan from 180cm to 220cm, weight 4-6kg. Plumage is of the same kind, dark – brown, nape and neck – golden red, young individuals have white, with a wide black strip on the end, tail, and lower part of a wing – with large white spots. A down nestling – only white. Golden Eagle settles in couples, making huge (up to 2 min a diameter) nests in niches and on ledges of rocky breakages, on trees. In March- April hen lays 1 – 3 eggs (hen sits on eggs about 45 days). The nestlings’ leaves nests in 2.5 months of old, but parents are guardians along time. Golden Eagle lives about 100 years in natural conditions. Eats: in mountains – marmots, kekliks (different kind of small birds), ulars (different kind of small birds), ravens and gophers; in deserts – sandpiper, rabbits, partridges, hazel grouses, turtles, snakes and etc. Occasionally attacks the foxes and badgers. . Hunters with Eagles – name Golden Eagles depending on age: till 1 year – balapan, 2-years – kantubit, 3-years – tyrnekl, 4-years – tastulek, 5-years – muzbalak, 6-years – koktubit, 7-years – kana, 8-years – zhana, 9-years – maytubit, 10-years – barkyn, 11-years – barshyn, 12-years – shogel.