Falconry

• Flying Experiences
• Booking Arrangements
• Meet the Birds

Click any image below for a slideshow

Tikko and Guinevere – Common Buzzards

The common buzzards are a native to Britain, we are hoping Tikko and Gwen will breed in the future, they have been together for the last two years and showed all the signs of bonding and nest building last year, but unfortunately we have had no luck with producing youngsters but we all have our fingers crossed for the future!

Lou and Chica – Harris Hawks

Harris hawks are a South American species, also known as a cactus hawk due to their fondness for perching on them in the wild. The harris hawks are used for ‘hawk walks” within the grounds of Swinton Park where guests have the opportunity to fly them to the gloved fist , due to their fondness for people and unique flying abilities.

Mika – Bengal Eagle Owl

Mika was handreared by falconer Sophie from a week old, spending his early days wandering around her house before he was old enough to live in his aviary at Swinton. Owls are naturally a highly strung species so hand rearing is important to ensure they are calm around people. Mika loves showing off and is flown regularly on ‘Owl Experiences’

Billy – Red Tailed Hawk

Billy is a North American species. The eyesight of a hawk/buzzard is around 8 times better than a human’s which enables him to catch and hunt his prey so successfully in the wild.

Phantom – Snowy Owl

Snowy Owls are able withstand temperatures as low as -50° C which is why they are so happy in snowy climates in the Artic circles where they originate . Snowy owls are also predominantly a day time hunting owl.

Kate – Peregrine Falcon

The peregrine falcon is a another native to Britain and they are the fastest animal on the planet . Kate is a rescue bird, she was found as a chick drowning in a canal, and she was rescued and brought to Swinton where she has grown up since.

Rosie and Ollie – European Eagle Owls

A native to Europe and Asia the European Eagle Owl is the largest of all the Owl species they are capable of taking prey the size of foxes and small deer in the wild. We are hoping to breed from these birds, however Rosie is only a youngster so it will be a year or two before she reaches sexual maturity.