Meet the People Behind Our Wings
Meet The Team
Bald Eagle
Oregon
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a large bird of prey native to North America and is best known as the national symbol of the United States. Adults are unmistakable, with a white head and tail, dark brown body, and a large yellow beak. They have an impressive wingspan, typically 6 to 7.5 feet (1.8–2.3 m).
Bald eagles primarily live near lakes, rivers, and coastal waters, where they hunt fish—their main food source—by swooping down and snatching them with powerful talons. They build huge nests, some of the largest of any bird, often reusing and expanding them each year.
Known for their majestic flight, strong eyesight, and commanding presence, bald eagles are a powerful symbol of freedom and resilience.
The White-tailed Eagle
Florence
The white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is one of the largest birds of prey in Europe and Asia. It has a broad wingspan of 6 to 8 feet (1.8–2.4 m), a massive yellow beak, and a generally brown body with a distinct pale head in adults. Its most recognizable feature is its short, wedge-shaped white tail, which gives the species its name.
White-tailed eagles typically live near coasts, lakes, and large rivers, where they hunt fish and waterbirds or scavenge carrion. They are powerful, slow-flying eagles with deep, steady wingbeats and are often seen soaring over open water.
Majestic and imposing, they are sometimes called the “flying barn door” because of their huge wings and broad shape.
The Gymnogene (African harrier-hawk)
Twizzle
The Gymnogene (African harrier-hawk) is a medium-to-large raptor found across sub-Saharan Africa. It has grey plumage, a bare yellow (sometimes reddish) facial patch, and black-and-white barred legs and tail. One of its most distinctive features is its double-jointed legs, which allow it to reach deep into tree holes, crevices, and nests to extract prey—something very few birds of prey can do.
It feeds on a wide variety of items, including birds, eggs, nestlings, reptiles, insects, and small mammals. Gymnogenes often climb around branches in a surprisingly agile, almost acrobatic way, using both feet and wings to maneuver.
They are intelligent, adaptable hunters and are unique among raptors for their specialized foraging techniques.
The Tawny Eagle
Tawny
The tawny eagle (Aquila rapax) is a large bird of prey found across much of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as parts of the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. It is named for its rich tawny-brown plumage, which can range from pale sandy tones to darker rufous browns. Adults have a powerful yellow beak with a dark tip, broad wings, and strong feathered legs.
Tawny eagles inhabit savannas, semi-desert areas, open woodlands, and grasslands. They are skilled hunters and opportunistic feeders, preying on small mammals, birds, reptiles, and sometimes scavenging carrion. They soar effortlessly on thermals, often covering large areas in search of food.
Known for their majestic posture and steady, purposeful flight, tawny eagles are iconic raptors of the African landscape.
The Scandinavian Barn Owl
Bert
The Scandinavian barn owl is simply the barn owl (Tyto alba) found in parts of southern Scandinavia, particularly Denmark and southern Sweden, where the climate is mild enough for them to survive. It is the same species seen across Europe but often appears slightly paler due to the northern populations tending toward lighter coloration.
Barn owls have a distinctive heart-shaped white face, dark eyes, and soft, pale plumage in shades of cream, white, and light gold. They are known for their silent flight, enabled by special feather structure, and their ability to hunt in near-total darkness using highly sensitive hearing.
They prefer farmland, open fields, and rural buildings where they nest in barns, attics, or nest boxes. Their diet is dominated by voles, mice, and other small mammals, making them valuable for natural pest control.
Graceful, ghostlike, and entirely silent in the air, the barn owl is one of Scandinavia’s most enchanting nocturnal hunters.
The Eurasian Kestrel
Rodney & Casandra
The Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), often simply called the common kestrel, is a small, slender falcon found across Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa. It is well known for its distinctive ability to hover in mid-air while scanning the ground for prey, holding position against the wind with quick wingbeats and a fanned tail.
Males typically have a grey head, rusty-brown back with black spots, and a grey tail with a bold black band at the tip. Females are browner overall with heavier barring. Both have sharp yellow talons and a curved, hooked beak typical of falcons.
Eurasian kestrels live in open countryside, farmland, moorland, heaths, and even urban areas, nesting on cliffs, buildings, old crow nests, or nest boxes. Their diet mainly consists of voles, mice, small birds, insects, and occasionally reptiles.
Light, agile, and graceful in the air, the kestrel is one of the most familiar and widespread small falcons in the Old World.
The Western Screech Owl
Cowboy
The Western Screech Owl (Megascops kennicottii) is a small, nocturnal owl native to western North America, from Canada down through Mexico. Despite the name, it doesn’t actually “screech” often—its typical call is a series of soft, accelerating whistles.
Western Screech Owls are compact birds with short ear tufts, yellow eyes, and plumage that varies from grey to brown, patterned with streaks and mottling that provide excellent camouflage against tree bark. They stand about 20–25 cm (8–10 in) tall.
These owls live in forests, woodlands, deserts, and suburban areas, often nesting in tree cavities or nest boxes. They hunt a wide range of prey, including small mammals, insects, birds, and occasionally small reptiles or amphibians.
Calm, well-camouflaged, and versatile, the Western Screech Owl is a quiet but charismatic resident of western landscapes.
The Rüppell's Griffon Vulture
Rüppell's Griffon Vulture & Harry's Conservation Journey
The Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture (Gyps rueppelli) is one of the world’s highest-flying birds, recorded soaring at over 11,000 meters. Native to the Sahel and East Africa, these vultures play a vital ecological role by cleaning the landscape of carcasses and preventing the spread of disease. Their long, narrow wings and distinctive mottled plumage make them perfectly adapted for life in open skies and rugged cliffside nesting areas.
Sadly, Rüppell’s vultures are now classified as Critically Endangered, threatened by poisoning, habitat loss, reduced food sources, and collisions with human infrastructure.
To help protect this remarkable species, Harry, our female Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture, has now joined a specialist breeding program. She has been paired with a carefully selected male as part of wider African conservation and genetic-diversity efforts. The aim is to support the long-term survival of the species through successful breeding, strengthening captive populations, and contributing to future reintroduction and sustainability projects.
Harry’s involvement represents a valuable step toward securing a safer future for one of Africa’s most extraordinary birds.
Our Harris Hawks
Tracy & Sharon
Tracy and Sharon are our female Harris Hawks (Parabuteo unicinctus), a species known for being one of the most sociable and intelligent birds of prey in the world. Unlike most raptors, Harris Hawks naturally live and hunt in family groups, using teamwork to catch prey—earning them the nickname “the wolves of the sky.”
They are striking birds with rich chestnut wings, dark chocolate-brown bodies, and bright yellow legs and ceres. Calm, responsive, and highly trainable, Harris Hawks are favorites in falconry due to their cooperative nature and strong bond with their handlers.
Tracy and Sharon each have their own personalities, but both are confident, clever, and always alert—perfect ambassadors for their species and wonderful representatives of modern falconry.
Our Bateleur Eagle
Rags
Rags is our magnificent Bateleur Eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus), a striking and charismatic African raptor known for its bold colours and incredible aerial agility. Bateleurs are instantly recognisable by their bright red face and legs, black plumage, and contrasting chestnut wings, along with their very short tail—which gives them their name, meaning “tightrope walker” in French.
In the wild, Bateleurs soar with a distinctive rocking motion, tilting from side to side as they scan huge areas of savannah for prey and carrion. They are skilled hunters but also important scavengers, helping to keep ecosystems clean.
Rags has all the confidence and attitude typical of her species, with a strong presence and expressive posture. She is a wonderful ambassador for African eagles and a brilliant example of the beauty and importance of raptor conservation.
Our Saker Falcon
Fern
Fern is our beautiful Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug), one of the world’s fastest and most powerful falcons. Known for their strength, courage, and versatility, Sakers have been valued in falconry for centuries. Fern’s plumage shows the classic Saker patterning—soft browns, creams, and fine streaking—perfectly blending power with elegance.
In the wild, Sakers inhabit open grasslands, steppes, and desert edges across Eastern Europe and Asia, where they hunt with explosive speed, soaring high before diving on prey with remarkable precision. They are skilled hunters of small mammals and birds, using their agility and sharp eyesight to excel in wide, open spaces.
Fern is confident, focused, and full of character—an impressive representative of her species and a wonderful falconry partner, showcasing the grace and athleticism of these remarkable birds.
