MEET THE BIRDS | GOACTIVEFALCONRY

THE BIRDS

THE FLYING TEAM

THE REST OF THE FAMILY

CHESNEY Harris Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) Native to South America and also know as the Bay Winged Hawk. The Harris Hawk is the most popular bird of prey amongst falconers, with the males being noticeably smaller when compared to the females. The Harris Hawk is the only bird of prey that hunt in packs between 8 – 10 birds and will help to raise each other’s young… This also gives them the nickname “Wolf of the Sky”. Chesney is 2 years old and has a very cheeky streak, which makes him very popular.	SAHARA Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus) Native to Africa and South East Europe, it is thought to be the oldest living species of Falcon on the planet. Their habitat is generally open ground giving horizonal chase, they can exceed speeds of 90mph and are very agile making them a formidable hunter. Sahara is 5 years old and one of our main display birds. She joined the team in June this year and has formed an amazing bond with her falconer Simon.	MONTE Hybrid Falcon Peregrine / Lanner (Falco Peregrinus x Falco Biarmicus) We acquired Monte in May 2019, at 3 weeks old he had a mischievous look about him, training started immediately introducing him to various distractions that he would encounter during displays. At 16 weeks old he was flown free, somewhat disconcerting at times, showing his juvenility…. As he progressed and the weeks passed he has now started entertaining the crowds during our flying displays. He is a great asset to our team.
STAR Star is our female Barn Owl. A very cheeky owl and never wants to let me get to far away from her. Star is 5 years old and flies at most of our public displays, she is very funny and almost human like. Many times I find myself having a chat with her during a display, which seems to entertain the crowds. Star had her claim to fame in May 2019, when she appeared in an episode of “EMMERDALE” . It was great fun and Star really performed for the cameras. Star by name, Star by nature.	ANNABELLE & ARTIE Harris Hawks (Parabuteo unicinctus) Our awesome flying duo work so well together . Annabelle is a very jealous bird and is very protective of Simon, it is great to have that bond but also has its own problems. Artie is such a social bird and loves to be around people even great amongst the children. We have decided for 2020 that the pair are going into one of our breeding enclosures, hopefully to give them a chance to raise some young.

THE REST OF THE FAMILY

WILLOW Hybrid Gyr / Saker Falcon (Falco Rusticulus x Falco Rusticulus/Falco Cherrug) Willow is one of our Veteran Falcons at the ripe old age of 22 years old she is now semi retired from public displays… She is an amazing girl and is always happy to go out flying, she loves to be around people and loves posing for the cameras on our photography shoots. she always makes me laugh and is very comical … These are the largest long winged falcons and predominately bred for racing and hunting.	BOBBY Barn Owl (Tyto Alba) Bobby the Barn Owl also referred to as the Common Barn Owl…. nothing common about our Bobby, Bobby is 4 years old and joined the team when he was only 8 weeks old, he has proven to be a valuable asset in the flying displays and the various experiences we run… He is very popular with the children and has such a great temperament.. Bobby is also trained as a ring bearer for your special day.	MATILDA – Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo Bubo) Well what can we say about Matilda ?? She is our largest owl and is certainly stunning, she is very popular on our Photography workshops and Owl experiences… Matilda knowing she is popular makes her very demanding at times….like a spoilt actress !!! this also makes her funny and generally upstages Simon. you can imagine her sat on a tree stump looking down her nose at Simon. She is a beautiful bird and is in her element on our workshops .
EDDIE Golden Eagle (Aquila Chrysaetos) One of our largest birds of prey at our Falconry Centre, Eddie is our teenage majestic Golden Eagle. In is huge free loft enclosure you can see this charismatic and charming bird close up, his huge presence, a truly awesome predator. Whilst he is in an enclosure he does come out to play from time to time, but his main job is providing semen for breeding. Eddie has a very good bond with Simon and will only allow him to enter and walk around his enclosure.	MR WOO GREAT GREY OWL - Mr Woo attracts the crowds. A large Owl that originates from Northern Canada and colder Northern terrortories, with a life expectancy in the wild of 12 years, in captivity they can reach 30-40 years. They are carnivorous and rely upon eating small rodents. They can punch their way through snow up to the length of their own body. You can see why hairy feet are needed to keep him warm walking on snow and ice.	HARPER SNOWY OWL - Most of you will recogonize the Snowy Owl from the Harry Potter Films. Our girl Harper is incredibly sociable and loves attention. You will find her sat on the ground or walking across the floor of her aviary, this is because she is a ground nesting bird. The Snowy Owl is native to the arctic regions of North America and it is the only owl with largely white plummage. Males tend to be purer white, whilst the females have darker speckles. If you are very lucky she will even talk.
NYMA STEPPE EAGLE - This is our female Steppe Eagle who is full of character. She is a big girl and widely recognized because of her wide gape (mouth). She is a scavenger and is therefore incredibly friendly compared to other eagle breeds. the Steppe Eagle comes from the Central Asian Steppes in Mongolia.	SHEILA BOOBUCK OWL - Sheila is our baby and she is a real cutie pie who certainly attracts attention with her pretty face. She is very friendly and loves children. Sheila is an Australian breed of owl and has beautiful green eyes. She is a small bird and eats mainly insects and small mammals.	BLUE WHITE FACED SCOPS OWL - This cheeky chap can also be referred to as a transformer owl as he transforms himself when under threat as a defence mechanism. It is rare that you will see him do this a he likes to show off to his adoring public. He originates from South Africa and he was the first of our own bred owls and his parents are also members of our bird family. He was named Blue by our son as when he was an owlet his feather looked blue.
ROGER RED TAILED HAWK - Roger is our largest sized Hawk and definitely makes his presence felt when you are near his aviary. The red-tailed hawk is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America. They have red tail plummage, hence their name, and are famous for providing the feathers for native american headdress.	TONY & HURLEY TAWNY OWLS - Our resident pair. These two are very placid and are found mostly sleeping. The Tawny Owl also known as Brown Owl, is a stocky medium sized bird commonly found in woodlands across Europe. They are one of our most common native owls and are nocturnal characterized by their dark eyes. They are quite commonly seen in urban areas. This is the only owl to make the "twit twoo" sound and it is the male and females calling each other. The male is twoo and the female twit.	MAX SPOTTED EAGLE OWL - This little fella is the smallest of the Eagle Owl Breeds and he rarely moves from his favourite perch on this branch in his aviary. They are the most common breed of owl found and originating from Africa.