Up Close to the Birds of Prey at Wingspan

The cutest owl we ever did see!

Each viewing window has an information board on the bird currently residing in each room, giving its name and why it is in the national bird of prey centre. The next little guy (or girl) we spend time with is “Whare”, a morepork or “ruru” who was found as a chick abandoned in someone’s back garden. The native owl species pokes her head out of her bird house and flies right in front of us!

“She doesn’t know she’s a morepork,” Heidi explains when she sees us mingling so close to the owl. Without a mother to show her the ways of a morepork, Whare has taken more of a shining to people than your average morepork. Nevertheless, we are melting at the sight on the tiny owl that we could probably fit in our hands. We almost can’t handle the cuteness when we see her huge yellow eyes!

Barn owl to harriers

We only get a glimpse of the native barn owl who refuses to budge from its bird house, but the next species we have a good look at are three swamp harriers, or as they are more commonly known, hawks. We have seen these guys all over New Zealand, often feeding on squashed possums on the road, but we have never got to see these beautiful birds this close!

With just a little bit more time before the flying display, we take a look around the small museum showing taxidermies of interesting raptor species from all over the world. There is also a display on the history of falconry, as well as information on New Zealand’s extinct birds of prey.

A peak into the morepork’s lair

The flight of the falcon!

As 2pm rocks around, we sit outside in the viewing area for the flying display, feeling super keen after seeing some of these beautiful creatures in the aviary. Heidi comes out of the aviary wearing a thick falconry glove topped with Hisan the New Zealand falcon. She explains that flying birds like Hisan everyday is part of the process to get birds trained up for life in the wild. Heidi releases a leather strap attached between the glove and the falcon’s leg, then Hisan is free to do whatever he wants. At first, it’s not much. Then he takes flight and flies off into the forest a few paddocks away completely out of sight… Erm, this is awkward… Is he coming back?

A close encounter with the rare falcon itself!

With a blow of a whistle and the enticement of a lure made with duck feathers, Hisan is seen speeding out of the forest and now does a dance with Heidi as she challenges him to catch the end of the lure. With this, we get to see the falcon’s amazing agility, speed and intelligence as it circles in the sun to hinder Heidi’s ability to see him. He impressively catches the lure four times in between Heidi explaining heaps more about these amazing birds and the conservation behind saving them from extinction.

At the end of the flying display, each of us gets the opportunity to put on a falconry glove and hold the New Zealand falcon ourselves – giving us the closest look yet and seeing how the falcon feels has it holds onto the glove.