Falconry Experience Days

Often referred to as the 'sport of Kings', many say falconry is the oldest field sport in the world. Originally it was all about using birds to hunt, but modern falconry for most is about the sheer pleasure and enjoyment of looking after birds of prey. Some have roles as natural pest controllers, others take part in film work and weddings, whilst falconry displays and experience days such as the ones we offer are really popular.

Yes! The fact that you get to meet, handle and fly the birds is what makes these hands-on experiences so different to just attending a falconry display.

Most falconry centres are outdoors,so you'll need to dress for the weather with comfortable shoes for walking. You should also makes sure you wear 'earthy' colours such as blacks, browns, beiges and greens. Bright colours should be avoided. And if it's sunny and hot and you're wearing a hat, you might need to remove it when the raptor is flying to your hand.

Actually owning and looking after a raptor takes money, time and lots of knowledge! However, we offer a full range of falconry experiences for all budgets. Meet and fly a bird on a great value taster experience, or book on a more costly full day course where you shadow the falconer for the day. These more in-depth experiences are ideal if you're thinking about getting into falconry with your own bird.

Yes! Even if you've never even been within pecking distance of a bird of prey before, all experiences are geared towards those with no previous experience. If you book on a one-to-one experience, your falconer will tailor the session to you.

Check each individual venue for their policy on spectators, but most centres charge a nominal fee (usually payable locally) for bringing a limited number of friends and family to watch. As spectators they'll be able to take photos and listen in, but they won't be able to handle the birds or fly them. We also have private falconry sessions that you can book exclusively for your group.

Some birds of prey centres have indoor flying arenas they can use if it's raining. Otherwise, if the weather is deemed too poor for the raptors to fly safely, your session will be postponed.

No, you won't be able to go with your four-legged friend. Whilst the falconers themselves may have dogs, they are familiar with the birds of prey and have been trained to work with them.

Most hawk walks are more of a gentle stroll around the countryside than a frogmarch through the fields. You take time to chat and learn about the birds as you walk, with plenty of stops to observe the birds in their natural habitat.

When you handle the birds you'll be wearing a long, leather falconer's glove to protect your hand and you'll be shown what position to adopt when waiting for a bird to fly to the glove, so even if you're holding a tasty titbit for them to devour on landing, you won't be part of their meaty treat!

Raptors are naturally ferocious hunters. But nearly all of our experiences are about getting an insight into the work of a falconer and discovering how birds of prey are trained and bred. A couple of our venues do offer walks where birds such as hawks of falcons will be allowed to hunt for prey such as hares, pheasants, mice or rabbits. If this is the case it will be detailed on that location's page.

Falconry is one of our most popular outdoor experiences, which is why we've got birds of prey centres the length and breadth of the country. Some are in the grounds of stately homes, others are in farm parks and many are deep in the countryside. Here's just a selection of our many falconry experience locations in the UK:

• Dorset
• Devon
• Kent
• Oxfordshire
• Shropshire
• Bedfordshire
• Hertfordshire
• North Wales - Denbigh
• Wales - Powys
• Nottinghamshire
• Cheshire
• Essex
• Leicestershire
• Surrey
• Lincolnshire
• Northamptonshire
• Yorkshire
• West Sussex
• Hertfordshire