The Wingspan Birds of Prey Centre in Rotorua has been on my list of places to visit for a while, and last weekend the Big T and I finally got there.
The Centre was established out of a commitment by a group of individuals to preserve the native NZ falcon, or Karearea, and other threatened native birds of prey.
Wingspan supports wild populations directly by releasing captive bred falcons and rehabilitating injured wild birds. Through research and advocacy, Wingspan also supports long-term sustainable conservation action by identifying the reasons for the decline in wild populations and promoting action to reverse this. — Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre
As well as aviaries for the birds currently being bred, rehabilitated or permanently cared for, the Centre also has a fascinating collection of falconry items in its museum.
But the highlight of a visit to Wingspan is watching a flying display. I confess I’m always dubious about attractions that seem to involve “performing” animals, but at Wingspan, the focus is on the bird’s welfare and development. We were told that Hisan, the juvenile Karearea we saw, is a good candidate for release into the wild. But for that to happen, the Centre staff need to be sure he has the skills to survive. So while Hisan’s afternoon flight sessions are highly entertaining for watching humans, they are vital to his development and well-being.
We were told that Hisan’s flights were becoming longer and taking him further from “home” — signs of his maturity. It meant quite a lot of waiting around for us, but I felt much better knowing that Hisan’s welfare wasn’t being compromised for our entertainment.
Heidi, Hisan’s trainer, swung a feathered lure on a long rope to attract Hisan back to her. His skills are developed by intercepting the lure while it’s airborne.
When Hisan returned to his trainer, everyone in the audience was able to don the gauntlet and experience this beautiful bird up close.
Both the Big T and I are still raving about our afternoon at the Wingspan Centre. We loved that it provided a really down-to-earth, interesting visitor experience in an environment that is fundamentally about conserving a beautiful native species of bird which is threatened by loss of habitat and other forces.
News Flash: in the last couple of days, Hisan has made his first kill — an important milestone on the road to his release into the wild.
The Wingspan Birds of Prey Centre is at:
1164 Paradise Valley Road, Ngongotaha, Rotorua 3072, NZ
Phone +64 7 357 4469
That was unique experience.
Leslie
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It was Leslie. I think everyone there that day was pretty humbled by the bird’s majesty and beauty.
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Did you get to hold the bird also? What an incredible experience that must have been, and as always, your photos are wonderful. What a proud bird he is!
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Thank you Amy. I did get to hold him. It was amazing to look into those eyes close-up; he is utterly beautiful. The Big T took photos on his phone, but I forgot to ask him to send them to me.
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How exciting and interesting! And good for Hisan, catching his first live pry. It sounds like he’s well on his way to a successful release into the wild. How wonderful. What an amazing place.
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Thanks Amanda. It is a wonderful place. Set up and run by volunteers, funded through donations and sponsorship. So typical of how conservation works!
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P.s. I think your title is perfect. 😉
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I did giggle at your title. Great pics, I did a bird experience like this a few months back, it is vital to the recover of injured birds and also dealing with birds that would otherwise not survive in the wild. Great pics………they are damn hard to shoot, as they can be so quick! 🙂
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Thanks Julie 🙂 I was so pleased to get any photos knowing how difficult it would be. Birds in flight have pretty much eluded me to date — unless they are specks in the distance — so there’s lots to aspire to. Cheers, Su.
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I know what you mean, I have fantastic shots of birds of prey………when they are NOT flying lol
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Love the title, Su, and I really, really enjoyed the post. I love birds of prey and I’ve seen a falconer fly hawks and falcons before. It was wonderful. He said that you are never the birds’ friend and he had a young one that he said might not come back when he flew it. (It did.) The place you visited sounds fascinating. Thanks for sharing the wonderful photos as well as the commentary.
janet
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Thank you Janet. The trainer we met said much the same thing as the falconer you mention. She said it was a very one-sided love affair. Just a couple of weeks before we were there, a mature falcon did fly off and not return. He was 12 and the people at Wingspan weren’t optimistic about his chances in the wild. So sad. Su.
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Great shots, I really like that first one.
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Fantastic shots! Sounds like a great experience too.
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Thanks Anabel. It was.
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Oh wow – the shot of the open wings has such clarity and I could see the feather pattern.
And how cool that the flight witnessed is part of the hardening process to go wild – 😉
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Thanks Yvette. I can’t rave enough about the good work Wingspan is doing.
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🙂 and good name for their organization
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Great experience. A bond between a bird and its handler is so very personal.
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Yes; Heidi the trainer described it as a “one-sided love affair.”
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Two bird handlers told me the same thing – the birds love them with passion, jealousy, dramas, all of that 🙂
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What an awesome experience Su, I totally envy you 😉 Your pics do this magnificent bird more than justice! 😄😚😚😚
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Thank you so much Sarah. I’m still buzzing about the experience. And I have also been back out to see the gannets — the chicks have hatched and the colony is full of white balls of fluff. Gorgeous — but really smelly. 🙂
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Haha! Yes, I imagine it doesn’t smell that nice 😉 But I hope the chicks make up for it! 😄
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Great post Su, I really enjoyed it 🙂
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Thanks Ross. Definitely my favourite thing to do in Rotorua. Mainly cos it’s totally unlike all the other things visitors do in Rotorua.
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That thing sure is hungry.
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