Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun falconry A trap for catching hunting birds, consisting of a cage with bait and a slip noose.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From an Indian word meaning "small umbrella" because of its shape.

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Examples

  • Dmytryk's group had been using a trap called a bal-chatri, a trap made of wire mesh, to try to catch the injured hawk.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com The Huffington Post News Editors 2011

  • When the hawk lands on the bal-chatri and tries unsuccessfully to grab the bait, its feet tangle in the nooses.

    Birdology Sy Montgomery 2010

  • You can make a bal-chatri from slats of cane, hardware cloth, or kitchen wire—for a small bird like a kestrel, even a kitchen strainer will do.

    Birdology Sy Montgomery 2010

Comments

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  • A classic trap used to capture birds of prey for falconry and other purposes consisting of a wire cage usually containing a live prey item, the exterior of which is furnished with numerous nooses fashioned from mono-filament fishing line or other inconspicuous or nearly invisible cordage for the purpose of snaring any bird that alights on the baited trap.

    September 28, 2009

  • Oh, you mean a hawking basket.

    September 28, 2009

  • Precisely! Touché!

    September 28, 2009