Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital

The Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital is a full veterinary facility dedicated entirely to falcons, located within the Souq Waqif complex. The hospital offers consultations, surgery, feather implantation (imping), and passport documentation for birds being taken out of Qatar for hunting season. It also runs guided tours.

Tours (usually daily except Friday, book in advance) take you through the examination rooms, the recovery ward with its rows of hooded birds on perches, and the surgical suite. The falconers who bring in their birds are often willing to let visitors photograph the animals. It is genuinely fascinating even if you have no prior interest in falconry, and the combination with the souq itself makes for a good half-day in the area.

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Falconry is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in Qatar and neighbouring Gulf states. The birds used for hunting — mostly Saker falcons and Peregrines — can cost between $10,000 and $100,000 each, and a prized bird will receive veterinary care that rivals what most humans can access. The hospital has treated over 11,000 birds and is the busiest falcon medical facility in the world.

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