Bird Gallery
This gallery features a selection of the birds that you might see on display at The Falconry Centre, and tells you more about each species. We never guarantee exactly which birds might be out on show, flown on display or on any of our Bird Handling Experiences each day, as we swap around which birds are flying or on show at different times of the year so that they all get appropriate rest breaks, and birds may also sometimes be out visiting schools or attending shows. If you are interested in a particular species, please Contact Us to find out if that bird will be on show when you are planning to visit.
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Picture |
Species |
Length |
Wingspan |
Weight |
Eggs |
Distribution |
Conservation Status |
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African Fish EagleHaliaeetus vocifer |
The African Fish Eagle is a very vocal bird, it can often be heard in the background of documentaries from Africa. They fish for less than 10 minutes per day when not rearing young. |
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African Spotted Eagle OwlBubo africanus |
The Spotted Eagle Owl is the smallest species of Eagle Owl. They are very agile flyers and some have learnt to catch bats, which congregate around street lights to feed on insects. |
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American KestrelFalco sparverius |
The American Kestrel is the second smallest Falco species in the world. The smallest is the Seychelles Kestrel. |
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Asian Brown Wood OwlStrix leptogrammica |
The Brown Wood Owl is related to our native Tawny Owl. They are nocturnal, very elusive, and difficult to study. |
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Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus |
The Bald Eagle is the emblem of the United States of America. It takes them 5 years to develop their distinctive white head and tail. |
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Barn OwlTyto alba |
The Barn Owl has suffered from pesticide use, barn conversions and especially road traffic collisions. Conservation efforts have helped improve their numbers in the last 20 years. |
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Bateleur EagleTerathopius ecaudatus |
“Bateleur” is a medieval French word meaning “tightrope walker” or “acrobat”. When a Bateleur soars, it rocks its wings from side to side as if doing a balancing act. |
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Bengal Eagle OwlBubo bengalensis |
The Bengal or Indian Eagle Owl has been separated from the European Eagle Owl by DNA studies. They lay their eggs on the ground, usually on a rock ledge but sometimes under bushes or between rocks. |
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Black VultureCoragyps atratus |
The Black Vulture’s scientific name, Coragyps atratus, roughly translates as “Crow-like vulture, clothed in black”. |
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Chaco OwlStrix chacoensis |
The Chaco Owl is the South American equivalent of our native Tawny Owl. “Chaco” is a province of Argentina. |
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Chilean Blue Buzzard EagleGeranoaetus melanoleucus |
This species is also known as the Black-Chested, Black or Grey Buzzard-eagle or Eagle-buzzard, or the Black-chested Eagle. |
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Common BuzzardButeo buteo |
The Common Buzzard has increased following a decline in the 1950s and 60s due to myxomatosis in rabbits and persecution. It is now the commonest raptor in the UK. |
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Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus |
The Kestrel is known for hovering. It is one of a few species of birds of prey where there is a difference in colouration between the male and female – the male has a grey head and tail. |
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Crested CaracaraCaracara plancus |
The Crested Caracara is a great scavenger and is very intelligent. In some areas they have learnt to follow trains and cars for food thrown out by people. |
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Eurasian Griffon VultureGyps fulvus |
Eurasian Griffon Vultures were made extinct in the UK at some point before the 1600s, but one vagrant did briefly appear on the Channel Island of Guernsey in 2000. |
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Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos |
The Golden Eagle is the second largest bird of prey in the UK, the biggest being the White-Tailed Sea Eagle. |
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Harris HawkParabuteo unicinctus |
This is the only species of raptor that cooperatively hunts. Groups of up to six birds have been seen working together. They are very commonly kept in the UK for falconry and display work. |
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Little OwlAthene noctua |
The Little Owl is the smallest species of owl in the UK. They were not a native bird; it was introduced to the UK in the 1880’s. |
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Long-Eared OwlAsio otus |
The Long-Eared Owl is the fifth most common of the six species of owl native to the UK. |
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Northern GoshawkAccipiter gentilis |
The name “Goshawk” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word gōshafoc, literally meaning “goose hawk”. However, the Goshawk rarely preys on geese, usually hunting rabbits, pheasants, partridge and smaller waterfowl instead. |
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Northern Hawk OwlSurnia ulula |
The Hawk Owl gets its name from its similar appearance to a hawk, particularly its long tail, which makes it a very agile flyer, especially through woodlands and forests. |
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Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus |
The Peregrine is the fastest recorded flying bird, reaching speeds in the stoop (vertical dive) in excess of 200mph. |
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RavenCorvus corax |
The Raven is the largest member of the corvid (crow) family and is thought to be one of the most intelligent species of bird. |
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Red-Tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis |
The Red-Tailed Hawk is the American version of the UK’s Common Buzzard. They nest on skyscraper ledges in urban areas, including New York. |
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Ruppell's Griffon VultureGyps ruppelli |
The Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture can eat up to 1.5kg (3lbs) of meat in one sitting. They are at risk from electrocution from power lines, poisoned carcasses and deliberate shootings. They are also killed for traditional medicine. |
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Saker FalconFalco cherrug |
The Saker is the species used in the Arab Emirates for falconry. The word Saker comes from the Arabic “Saqr”, meaning “falcon”. |
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Snowy OwlBubo scandiacus |
The Snowy Owl breeds in relation to its food supply which fluctuates each year. In food abundance years there will be many young but in low years a pair will not breed and will move to another area. |
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Spectacled OwlPulsatrix perspicillata |
The Spectacled Owl can take over 18 months to get its adult plumage; juveniles have white heads until they are around 2 years old. |
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Steller's Sea EagleHaliaeetus pelagicus |
The Steller’s Sea Eagle is a protected species and classed as a “National Treasure” in Japan. It is under threat from pollution, loss of habitat and over-fishing, which deprives them of their main food source. |
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Steppe EagleAquila nipalensis |
The Steppe Eagle is not as powerful as its cousin, the Golden Eagle. A large proportion of their winter diet in Africa is termites. |
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Tawny EagleAquila rapax |
During its first year, the immature Tawny Eagle’s plumage is much paler than the adults, often whitish, especially on the underparts. |
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Tawny OwlStrix aluco |
The Tawny Owl is the most common species of owl in the UK. This is the species you may hear hooting at night with its distinctive “tu-whit, tu-woo” call. |
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Turkey VultureCathartes aura |
The Turkey Vulture is one of the few birds that has been proven to have a sense of smell; it can detect the scent of rotting meat to help it find food. |
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Turkmenian Eagle OwlBubo bubo turcomanus |
The Turkmenian Eagle Owl is a sub-species of the larger and darker European Eagle Owl. There are about 14 different species all known collectively as the Eurasian Eagle Owl species. |
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Western Screech OwlMegascops kennicottii |
Western Screech-Owls in the Pacific Northwest tend to be more rufous (reddish-brown) than in other parts of their range; birds of the Desert Southwest tend to be greyer in colour. |