Public Aviaries

Home to breeding pairs of hawks, eagles and several species of owl our aviary complex is well worth a visit.
Admission to Aviary Complex (on the day): £2.50 adults, £2.00 children & concessions, under 5's free.

The layout is divided into two sections. First of all we have our weathering lawn where trained birds of prey are placed on perches in order to sun themselves (depending on the weather!), bathe and relax.

Weathering stimulates the birds to preen therefore increasing their ability to resist water-logging and it also helps to keep their flight feathers in tip-top condition. Here you will see the majority of birds trained using falconry techniques that are used in our flying demonstrations and in hands-on work with our guests during the many and varied Falconry Experiences that we offer.

Eagles, falcons, hawks, owls and more can be seen on the weathering lawn and its composition changes throughout the year reflecting the fact that certain birds are rested or retired to breeding programs within the Centre.

Moving around from the weathering lawn we find our aviaries. These are home to our breeding collection of owls. The white faced scops owls are particularly prolific breeders sometimes having 2-3 clutches in a season and the resulting youngsters are re-homed with other collections and individual experts nationwide. We also have species such as the largest of all the owls, the European eagle owl, the magnificent Great Grey Owl from the cold forests of North America and of course, the eternal favourite the barn owl. Visitors can take their time in this area and often by standing back from the barriers they can witness some very interesting behaviour.

Guests should note that breeding pairs can be a little shy when faced with prying eyes so please forgive their modesty!