Falconry

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Woodlands Hawk Walk

Birds of Prey Experience

Event & Wedding Displays

Barn Owl
The barn owl is the most distributed species of owl . They are red listed in Ireland due to the decline in breeding. The population around Europe is slowly declining. The barn owl is rarely seen during the day and is only active at night. It is most likely to be seen flying across roads in car head lights. They appear a ghostly white with no marking on the underwing. They are a long eared owl and have a dark comma mark. They hunt small mammals and frogs. They are very difficult to observe and there are no regular sites to see barn owls.

Harris Hawks

Harris hawks are large lanky raptors with long legs and long tails. They fly on broad rounded wings. The females weigh almost twice as much as the males. Harris hawks are dark brown with reddish brown feathers on the wings and thighs. The tail is mostly dark with a white rump and white terminal band. Harris Hawks perch themselves on telephone poles, cactus, posts, or other features that offer a view of the surroundings. The harris hawks hunt and travel in groups and sometimes walk or run along the ground when hunting. They soar on rounded wings, and frequently fan their tails. They are frequent to urban and suburban areas due to the easy access to water and food (pigeons)

Peregrine Falcons

The Peregrine Falcon is a raptor, or bird of prey. Adults have blue-grey wings, dark brown backs, a buff coloured underside with brown spots and white faces with a black stripe on their cheeks. They have hooked beaks and strong talons. The Peregrine Falcons name comes from the Latin word peregrinus which means ‘to wander’. They are the fasting flying birds in the world and are able to dive at up to 200 miles per hour. The Peregrine Falcon will eat other birds such as songbirds and ducks, as well as bats. They catch their prey mid-air. Peregrine Falcons mate for life and breed in the same territory each year. The male courts the female for about one month by using aerial displays. They make a nest on ledges and in caves located high of cliffs. Some Peregrine falcons will use man made structures such as bridges and skyscrapers to nest.

Snowy Owl

The snowy owl is a native to arctic regions in north America and Eurasia. They are a very large owl, about the same size of a raven. They are very distinctive as they as almost all white in all plumages. Adult males are pure white and adult females are white with an extensive black barring on the wings and body. The snowy owl hunt various small to medium sized mammals (mainly rabbits) and birds. They are known to be very aggressive when defending their nest and will attack those who try to disturb it. Their a rare winter visitor, mainly to western counties such as Mayo. Most often seen roosting during the day on bogs.

Great Grey Owl

Great grays are one of the tallest owls, they also have broad wings and a long tail. They are big headed owls with a large facial disk. They dwarf most other owls in size but not inweight due to their feathers. Their bulk is mostly made up of feathers. The females are larger then males. Great gray owls are a silvery gray patterned with fine white, gray and brown streaking and faint barring. Their yellow eyes shine through the fine gray-and-brown concentric circles of the facial disk. They generally try to not draw too much attention to themselves and tend to avoid areas with people. They quietly perch on the edges of meadows or forest openings and are nearly invisible despite their size.

Eurasion Eagle Owl

Eurasion Eagle-owls are among the worlds largest owls. They combine fast and powerful flights with shallow wing beats and long fast glides. They soar updrafts, displaying a type of flight similar to a soaring hawk. They have orange eyes and feathery ear turfs which make them one of the most striking owls in the world. Their large, powerful feet and strong flight make them powerful hunters. They mainly eat small mammals such as voles, rats and rabbits but also hunt woodpeckers, herons and other birds. They also prey on reptiles fish and insects. They live in woodland habitats and are mostly found in rocky outcrops and cliffs. However, they also live in open habitats that have trees and rocky areas like farmlands and grasslands.