About The Devon Bird of Prey Centre
At the Devon Bird of Prey Centre you will meet some of the worlds most spectatular Birds of Prey, presented in a unique and personal way, where it is clear to see the high standard of care and total regard for all the birds. The passion and commitment to the birds is obvious for all to see and the centre has professional credibility in view of being Zoo Licensed.Flying displays week commencing 16th May
Mon- No Display, Tues- No Display, Wed- No Display, Thurs- 2pm, Fri -No Display, Sat- 2pm, Sun- 2pm
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Three of us visited here for the first time in September of last year (2021).
What a fantastic couple of hours we enjoyed!
The weather was very warm... read more & sunny so we were told - before we paid - that there wouldn’t be a flying display that day because it was too hot for the birds. This didn’t worry us & we happily made our way around the aviaries & were soon absorbed by what we could see & read.
A small group was having a pre-arranged Experience in a lovely shaded display area & we were invited to sit & watch. It was fascinating to witness this beautiful owl charming the socks off everyone! Big smiles all round!
At the end of the display the Falconer brought the bird over to us on its way back to its aviary. We were thrilled as we were able to see the owl up close & take some fantastic photographs & ask the Falconer lots of questions. She explained why the heat was a potential problem & why there were no flying displays that day – that the feathers were designed to hold in the heat & with the high temperature that day it was described as being like wearing a duvet or two!
We carried on with our visit & in due course sat down again for a pause & to enjoy the scenery & the relaxing atmosphere. We were stunned when the same Falconer came over & handed me a gauntlet! Off she went & I was dumbfounded – she was going to let me hold a bird of prey! Never done that before! She came back & brought with her the most beautiful owl & - after telling me how to hold my arm & grip the Jesses - she settled the bird onto my glove. It was awesome! To see this incredible creature so closely & to take in all of the detailing on the feathers, the claws, especially the beautiful face & eyes was incredible. I loved it!
We’d been happy just being there, but got to enjoy the bonus of holding an owl (for the first time) & watching a demonstration we didn’t expect!
We had lots of extra questions for her & she patiently answered them all. We were fascinated to learn about her passion for the birds & about the strong bonds that Falconers build with them – we were riveted!
Her taking the time to do that made our day – thank you so much!
I’d advise potential visitors to check whether there will be any flying displays on their chosen day (it only takes a minute to do), as I appreciate that some visitors might feel aggrieved if there isn’t one; they can then decide whether to change the date of their visit.
The Centre isn’t very big but has plenty to see & read. You could nip around and be out within half an hour, but we wanted to take everything in & were there for over an hour & a half.
We are keen to praise the staff at the Centre for their dedication to the birds in their care, & to compliment them on their set-up, with their immaculate aviaries & a very dedicated team.
An extra special thank you to the lady Falconer (I kick myself for not asking her name, I’m sorry) who delighted us with her knowledge & time on our visit & made it such a special treat for us.
We will undoubtedly return...
L Snow
February 9, 2022xmedsec Three of us visited here for the first time in September of last year (2021).
What a fantastic couple of hours we enjoyed!
The weather was very warm... read more & sunny so we were told - before we paid - that there wouldn’t be a flying display that day because it was too hot for the birds. This didn’t worry us & we happily made our way around the aviaries & were soon absorbed by what we could see & read.
A small group was having a pre-arranged Experience in a lovely shaded display area & we were invited to sit & watch. It was fascinating to witness this beautiful owl charming the socks off everyone! Big smiles all round!
At the end of the display the Falconer brought the bird over to us on its way back to its aviary. We were thrilled as we were able to see the owl up close & take some fantastic photographs & ask the Falconer lots of questions. She explained why the heat was a potential problem & why there were no flying displays that day – that the feathers were designed to hold in the heat & with the high temperature that day it was described as being like wearing a duvet or two!
We carried on with our visit & in due course sat down again for a pause & to enjoy the scenery & the relaxing atmosphere. We were stunned when the same Falconer came over & handed me a gauntlet! Off she went & I was dumbfounded – she was going to let me hold a bird of prey! Never done that before! She came back & brought with her the most beautiful owl & - after telling me how to hold my arm & grip the Jesses - she settled the bird onto my glove. It was awesome! To see this incredible creature so closely & to take in all of the detailing on the feathers, the claws, especially the beautiful face & eyes was incredible. I loved it!
We’d been happy just being there, but got to enjoy the bonus of holding an owl (for the first time) & watching a demonstration we didn’t expect!
We had lots of extra questions for her & she patiently answered them all. We were fascinated to learn about her passion for the birds & about the strong bonds that Falconers build with them – we were riveted!
Her taking the time to do that made our day – thank you so much!
I’d advise potential visitors to check whether there will be any flying displays on their chosen day (it only takes a minute to do), as I appreciate that some visitors might feel aggrieved if there isn’t one; they can then decide whether to change the date of their visit.
The Centre isn’t very big but has plenty to see & read. You could nip around and be out within half an hour, but we wanted to take everything in & were there for over an hour & a half.
We are keen to praise the staff at the Centre for their dedication to the birds in their care, & to compliment them on their set-up, with their immaculate aviaries & a very dedicated team.
An extra special thank you to the lady Falconer (I kick myself for not asking her name, I’m sorry) who delighted us with her knowledge & time on our visit & made it such a special treat for us.
We will undoubtedly return...
February 9, 2022 I've been today and I must say I had a blast , I felt so relaxed and such a calm feeling being with them , what a
2875Angie
September 12, 2021- This is a belting little place! It's only small so if you just walk round you can be in and out in 20 minutes BUT if you take your time... read more and read all the information as you go round, you get a real feel for the personalities of these little (and large) guys, and if you are there for long enough the birds are brought out for a close encounter - which really is close 😆 My head was brushed by a passing wing more than once, and they literally sit next to you on the benches. Karen is soooo passionate about the birds and so knowledgeable, you can't help but fall a little bit in love with them, and absolutely respect the speed and power of them, so absolutely I would recommend a trip. There's a decent garden centre next door with a cafe and a butchers too if you want to do a bit of shopping whilst you're there
August 30, 2021 This is a belting little place! It's only small so if you just walk round you can be in and out in 20 minutes BUT if you take your time... read more and read all the information as you go round, you get a real feel for the personalities of these little (and large) guys, and if you are there for long enough the birds are brought out for a close encounter - which really is close 😆 My head was brushed by a passing wing more than once, and they literally sit next to you on the benches. Karen is soooo passionate about the birds and so knowledgeable, you can't help but fall a little bit in love with them, and absolutely respect the speed and power of them, so absolutely I would recommend a trip. There's a decent garden centre next door with a cafe and a butchers too if you want to do a bit of shopping whilst you Joy
August 30, 2021Getaway43720317145 This is a belting little place! It's only small so if you just walk round you can be in and out in 20 minutes BUT if you take your time... read more and read all the information as you go round, you get a real feel for the personalities of these little (and large) guys, and if you are there for long enough the birds are brought out for a close encounter - which really is close My head was brushed by a passing wing more than once, and they literally sit next to you on the benches. Karen is soooo passionate about the birds and so knowledgeable, you can't help but fall a little bit in love with them, and absolutely respect the speed and power of them, so absolutely I would recommend a trip. There's a decent garden centre next door with a cafe and a butchers too if you want to do a bit of shopping whilst you're there
August 30, 2021 - My Daughter had a 'Taster' experience and she enjoyed it immensely. We went expecting to spend just a couple of hours but spent far longer after also enjoying a show.... read more Karen was really informative and her team were fantastic. A brilliant day out and well worth
M0ssim0
August 25, 2021 We went to this place knowing its small and not expecting to spend too long here. We ended up staying for a few hours as we wanted to see the... read more birds flying. I have a keen interest in birds of prey and we loved the display and how this centre was run. The staff were friendly, very knowledgeable and amazing with our two young girls responding to their endless questions.
We ended our visit after my daughters had both held a small owl,which they absolutely loved.
This is a definitely an experience we will all remember.
For anyone interested in birds of prey I highly recommend visiting here.
August 19, 2021 We went to this place knowing its small and not expecting to spend too long here. We ended up staying for a few hours as we wanted to see the... read more birds flying. I have a keen interest in birds of prey and we loved the display and how this centre was run. The staff were friendly, very knowledgeable and amazing with our two young girls responding to their endless questions.
We ended our visit after my daughters had both held a small owl,which they absolutely loved.
This is a definitely an experience we will all remember.
For anyone interested in birds of prey I highly recommend visit Paul&Viki
August 19, 2021
