Hunting with golden eagles is a traditional art of the Eurasian steppes, particularly in Central Asia. It is a type of falconry.
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Professional hunters from Kazakhstan call the practice berkutchy or kusbeguy in Kazakh; it is also called berkutchi by the Kyrgyz people of the Bugu clan.[1]
Berkutchy is a life's profession, and in Kazakhstan is often a hereditary one. The relationship of the bird and its master is constant and all-consuming. In the training of a young eagle, the berkutchy must sacrifice his sleep for a long period. For weeks, the growing bird is rendered sightless under its hood until its dependence on its master becomes complete. Such intimacy must turn into a lifelong trust with the eagle - twenty years or more. It is said that as the man trains the eagle, so does the eagle train his man. There is a proverb in Kazakhstan: "There are three things a real man should have: a fast horse, a hound, and a golden eagle.[2]
In 936-45 AD the Khitans, a nomadic people from Manchuria, conquered part of north China.[3] In 960 AD China was conquered by the Song dynasty.[4] From its beginnings, the Song dynasty was unable to completely control the Khitan who had already assimilated much of Chinese culture. Throughout its 300-year rule of China, the Song had to pay tribute to the Khitan to keep them from conquering additional Song territory.[5] Despite the fact that the Khitans assimilated Chinese culture, they retained many nomadic traditions, including eagle hunting[6] (see the unknown Chinese painting from Song dynasty).
The hai dong qing was an important breed of hunting eagle for Jurchen tribes. The Khitan extorted this kind of eagle from Jurchen but ended in revolt.
In 1207, the Kyrgyz nomads surrendered to Genghis Khan's son Jochi. Under Mongol rule, the Kyrgyz preserved their nomadic culture. It has been said that the Kyrgyz nomads have been hunting with golden eagles for 6,000 years.[7]