TuHu is the Chinese name given to a Saker Falcon that is flown at hares and roughly translated, means Hare Tiger.
As with all falconers who fly sakers, the bigger the saker the better, but unfortunately for the average Chinese falconer they never get to see the large sakers that come into the trappers hands. These falcons attract high prices and are not available to the locals, they just melt away to distant lands.

This TuHu is wearing a special hood known from ancient Chinese falconry as a Guan Mao, which means Official Hood. In ancient China these hoods were made for the falcons of the Emperor and his Dukes.

It is a very special and ornate hood and extremely difficult to make and as far as I know there is only one man left who makes these hoods from the old patterns.

Mr. Qiao told me that he will only make these for a few more years as his eyesight is going. Each of his hoods carries his makers mark on the back to prove it comes from the ancient pattern.