Why did this falcon sell for $346,000? Rare bird becomes Saudi auction sensation
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Why did this falcon sell for $346,000? Rare bird becomes Saudi auction sensation")
From Canada to Riyadh: Rare falcon fetches $346,000 at elite auction Photograph: (Screenshot/Video/X-NCFSaudi)
A rare Canadian-bred falcon has fetched 1.3 million Saudi riyals at an auction near Riyadh, making it the most expensive bird sold at this year's event. But what makes a falcon worth more than $300,000?
A rare Canadian-bred falcon has been sold for 1.3 million Saudi riyals, or about $346,000, at an auction north of Riyadh, becoming the most expensive bird sold at this year's event and the second-highest sale in the auction's history.
The bird, a juvenile three-quarter gyr Super White falcon, was bred by Jim Wilson Falcons in Ontario, Canada. It went under the hammer on the seventh night of the International Falcon Breeders Auction in Malham, around 65 kilometres north of the Saudi capital.
Bidding, as per Gulf News, opened at 200,000 riyals, but competition quickly pushed the price into seven figures before the bird was eventually bought by Nova Falcon. "This bird is rare, and rare birds are priceless," Shadeed Al Rashidi of Nova Falcon said in a video released by the auction organisers.
Two birds fetch 1.45 million riyals
The Canadian breeder had another successful sale on the same evening. A pure gyrfalcon chick from the farm sold for 150,000 riyals, after bidding started at 40,000 riyals.
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Together, the two birds brought in 1.45 million riyals, underscoring the prices commanded by elite falcons in the Gulf's highly competitive falconry market.
The winning sale was also announced by Saudi Arabia's National Center for Falcons, which described the bird as the world's most expensive Mathlouth gyr pure falcon sold in 2026.
Still short of auction record
Despite the huge price, the bird did not break the event's all-time record. That mark remains 1.75 million riyals, around $467,000, paid in 2021 for a juvenile Ultra White three-quarter pure gyrfalcon. The latest sale, however, exceeded last year's top price of 1.2 million riyals.
Why pay millions for a falcon?
Falconry has deep cultural roots across Saudi Arabia and the wider Arabian Peninsula. In recent years, events such as the Malham auction have also become major international marketplaces, bringing together specialist breeders, collectors, and professional falconers. The birds sold at the auction automatically qualify for popular falcon racing competitions in Saudi Arabia. The sport offers substantial prize money, with around $12.5 million available across the racing season.
The International Falcon Breeders Auction will continue at Malham until August 25, with breeders and buyers from Saudi Arabia and overseas expected to take part.
