ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Feathered friends can be seen nearly any time of year in Southwest Kansas, but visitors to Liberal’s Hampton Inn can see a gathering of a few members of specific species this week.
The North American Falconers Association is hosting a field meet through Friday at the Liberal Conference Center, and a few falcons and other species were perched Monday on a vacant lot just west of the nearby Hampton Inn, drawing more than a few eyes from those in the area.
According to its Web site, www.n-a-f-a.com, NAFA was founded in 1961 to encourage the proper practice of the sport of falconry and the wise use and conservation of birds of prey.
From a handful of members in its early years, the Web site said NAFA has grown to about 2,000 members and is now one of the largest falconry organizations in the world.
Though founded principally to represent the interests of North American falconers, NAFA gladly accepts members from all countries who share in their passion of birds of prey and falconry.
NAFA, the Web site said, has been very involved with devising regulations on the federal and state levels in the U.S. that protect both the birds of prey used in the sport and the sport itself.
The Web site went on to say NAFA has worked with Canadian and Mexican falconry organizations to improve laws and regulations in those countries as well and is a member of the International Association of Falconers, giving it a voice in aiding falconers around the world.
