Mongolia

Altai Eagle Festival Among the high mountains that separate Mongolia from Kazakhstan, China and Russia, the Eagle Festival takes place, an annual event during which nomads and hunters of Kazakh ethnicity perform and compete in competitions of skill on horseback, training of eagles and hunting and archery. The Golden Eagle Festival is an annual traditional festival held in Bayan-Ölgii Aimag, one session in September and one in October. Ethnic Kazakh hunters (Burkitshi) compete to capture small animals such as foxes and hares with specially trained golden eagles, showcasing the skills of both the birds and their trainers.