The Cornish Birds of Prey Centre

3 October 2003

At the Cornish Birds of Prey Centre just south of Wadebridge, one of the male Harris' Hawks, found in open savannas from Argentina north to Mexico and Texas. In the wild, they hunt in small groups of 5 or 6 birds, and are currently very popular as hunting birds.

Abbi is a red-tailed buzzard (Buteo jamaicencis), found commonly throughout South and North America. This bird favours open country and desert, and will occupy high vantage points to view the landscape below watching for its prey.

A snowy owl

Ernie is a Peregrine X Lanner Falcon (Falco Perigrinus X Biarmicus), and as the name suggests, is the result of cross-breeding a  Peregrine and a Lanner falcon. Peregrine falcons are often highly strung, and the aim of the cross-breeding is to produce a more even-tempered bird.

Mojo is a Saker falcon (Falco cherrug), found from the eastern Mediterranean through the Middle East to the Urals and China.

Jane is a Harris' Hawk, here preparing to fly for a demonstration

Jane is one of the primary display birds at the Centre, and is said to love entertaining her audiences, though is rather mischievous and has been known to fly off with visitors' hats and then jump up and down on them to kill them!

Lucy and Jane

A very impressive looking eagle owl

...in flight...

...and landing on the pole for his food

See a video of the eagle owl in flight:
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Setting off again for more prey

Lucy and the eagle owl

And a look at some of the other animals at the Centre...

A very young rescued deer

And a couple of Shetland ponies