Kyrgyz hunters distinguished 13 species of birds of prey — the gyrfalcon: baybaktuu shunkar — gyrfalcon with noticeable hairs on its legs, kuiko shunkar (this is a very valuable bird — in ancient times, the winner of a competition was gifted 9 birds of prey, and this nine was led by the kuiko shunkar), kazy shunkar — true gyrfalcon, kara shunkar — gyrfalcon with black plumage (very difficult to train), taza shunkar — pure gyrfalcon without admixture, moynoktyu shunkar — gyrfalcon with a light gray mark on its neck, and ak shunkar — white gyrfalcon, among others.
According to legend, the shunkar returns with the autumn frosts and nests on inaccessible cliffs. The female lays an egg and supposedly leaves it for the winter, starting to incubate it with the onset of spring. However, these beliefs are incorrect both from a physical and biological standpoint. Cold destroys both the shell and the egg white, which is in a semi-liquid state. Most birds (with the exception of some wild chickens) incubate their eggs immediately after laying them — this is a biological law. During the incubation period, the egg is warmed by the birds, with an average temperature of 42 degrees Celsius and above. If, for any reason, the egg cools down slightly during this critical incubation period, the development of the embryo will be disrupted, and the chick will not hatch. The Kyrgyz apparently reasoned that since the shunkar is rarely encountered and possesses such outstanding qualities as a bird of prey, it must be born differently than other birds.
Tynar is one of the subspecies of chuilu or kush; in nature, there are kara kashka tynar (with a black mark on the forehead) and kyzy kashka tynar (with a reddish mark on the head), ylaachyn-kara ylaachyn, too ylaachyn (subspecies of the peregrine falcon) and kuu-kumpai (the most fearless of the birds of prey, surpassing the golden eagle in strength and agility, very rarely found in nature).
Both itelgi and ylaachyn nest on high cliffs or steep banks. These birds have pointed wings; they instantly kill their prey by severing its carotid artery with their dagger-like beaks. In doing so, the predator, striking its prey with its foot, drives a strong claw into its body. Itelgi is characterized by its ability to hide well and suddenly attack its prey. This bird usually hunts twice a day: in the morning from 7 to 10 o'clock and in the evening around 5-6 o'clock.
In recent years, ornithologists in the republic have not found nests of the shunkar and ylaachyn. They usually pass through our region during migration from Taymyr, Siberia, Altai-Sayan, and other places. They fly away to winter in Afghanistan, Iran, and India. Some of them have recently begun to stay in our areas, breed offspring, and even winter here. This phenomenon apparently revives the former, long-lost nesting attachments of the population of large falcons.
Unlike itelgi and ylaachyn, kush and kyrgy do not strike their prey with their feet but grab it with their claws in flight. They nest in trees and roost there. Their wings are rounded, and their tails are much longer than their bodies. There are usually 2-4 eggs in the nest. Kush is a long-lived bird: it can serve its owner for 20-30 years.
The king of the bird species is buudaiyk (a mythical, predatory bird), which is also born from the kush. Kyrgyz hunters classified golden eagles into 65 species and subspecies. When training, a special method suitable for each bird had to be found, as they possessed individual characters. Among the golden eagles, four berens (the best types of golden eagles) were distinguished, which differed only in their unique hunting qualities. For example, chol burkut — the golden eagle inhabiting the desert, was the terror of the plains; kalbyr kanat, muz murut — the golden eagle inhabiting high mountains (well adapted to cold and frost, nests in inaccessible places close to glaciers); tynar — the golden eagle with a reddish head and black body plumage; and too komdot — the largest golden eagle (according to hunters, it first strikes its prey like itelgi with a powerful claw, and then wraps it up with both feet and waits for its owner to arrive); from kuiko, takanak is born (a large kestrel, very strong and agile), and so on.
Kyrgyz munushkers (specialists in training birds of prey and hunting with them), for example, believed that the shunkar is born from itelgi — gyrfalcon.
Shunkars have long been highly valued as remarkable helpers in hunting. Among Asian peoples, particularly the Kyrgyz, the first mentions of falconry date back to the 11th century, when the Kyrgyz khan Uruz Inal sent hunting birds-shunkars as a valuable gift to the formidable Genghis Khan.
Eagles and gyrfalcons are widely mentioned in the poetry, fairy tales, epics, and legends of the peoples of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Ancient Kyrgyz seers believed that if a person saw a golden eagle or falcon in a dream, their affairs would go well, meaning all their dreams would come true. They regarded these birds as particularly prophetic. Turkic names for gyrfalcons, including the Altai gyrfalcon turul-shunkar, sunkar, shunkar, were used as personal family names of outstanding heroes, especially military leaders.
Among the warlike Turkic and Mongolian tribes, hunting was considered not only a pastime but also a form of military exercise. Under the guise of hunting, they conducted reconnaissance of their territory and that of their enemies if it was nearby, trained their war horses and warriors, i.e., did everything necessary to prepare for future battles. This is reflected in the Kyrgyz proverb that has survived since the 6th-9th centuries: "Bekterdin kush salyp, zher kydyruusu sogushka dayardangany" — Falconry of the noble — preparation for war.
Good hunting birds were highly valued and considered the emblem of a fearless warrior; they were neither sold nor gifted to anyone.
The word tuygun among the Kyrgyz has meant agility and fearlessness since time immemorial; it was their symbol. When a brave and agile jigit died, people usually said: "Tuygundan ayrildyk" — "We have lost the most fearless tuygun-warrior."
In the oral folk creativity of the Kyrgyz, the golden eagle symbolizes fearless warriors and military leaders. For example, in the epic "Manas," the birth of Manas is foretold by a golden eagle that the hero's father, Jakyp, saw in a dream:
I saw a golden eagle in my dream...
Its strike is deadly —
The back claw is steel,
And the front claw is a dagger.
I tied to its leg
A ribbon of the finest silk.
For many days and many nights
I caressed it in my yurt.
It instilled fear in all feathered creatures —
They could not soar in the skies.
It frightened the animals of the earth —
In the valleys, they could not run.
Birds in nests, beasts in burrows
Trembled before them all around.
These lines poetically describe the love of the Kyrgyz falconers for their winged assistants. The people have created many legends and tales about famous munushkers and birds of prey.