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“Before, I didn’t understand anything,” he said, pointing at Parolil, who was busy focusing on the peregrine’s feather. “I came here and practiced by watching.”

One of the oldest and most respected men at the hospital is Wilson Joseph, 54, who is now in his 20th year working with falcons. He started as a cashier at a smaller medical facility in Saudi Arabia. Joseph was a criminal lawyer in India, he said. He had never seen a falcon, let alone treated one, before he came to the Gulf. “But I wanted to take care of my family, get better earnings,” he said.

House Rules

As with many institutions in Qatar, there is a strict hierarchy when it comes to the falcon hospital’s waiting room. While there is a numbered ticketing system, there are ways to cut the line: Qatari royals bearing falcons are treated as a priority, then Qatari nationals and finally foreigners, usually South Asian domestic staff members sent on behalf of their employers.

The vagaries of the system mean that waits can be long. The delays offer a chance to exchange gossip, make jokes and generally let off steam.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/19/sports/qatar-falcon-hospital.html?emc=rss&partner=rss