Cotswold Falconry Centre is home to over 130 birds of some 60 species. On Monday 25th November, the Sixth Form Animal Management cohort was invited to take a tour.
On the visit, two dedicated experts spoke about the different species of birds of prey at the centre, explaining their diet, welfare and breeding programmes.
Once educated on the birds and their backgrounds, the group had the opportunity to watch three birds fly, as well as handle two species of owl and an eagle. Despite the impressive size of the great grey owl, it was remarked how light he was to hold.
It was decided that another small white faced owl, dubbed Mr Grumpy, was far too cute for his name. However, he did deposit an unwelcome gift on Mrs Williams’ coat! Despite the mishap, she commented “Overall, it was an excellent, informative afternoon with the pupils learning lots about birds of prey.”
Toby in the Upper Sixth recounted, “We learnt about their different hunting methods and unique adaptations to help them be more efficient at this. I found the trip very interesting. This was definitely a new experience for me and I really enjoyed it when they perched calmly on my nervous arm, and actually behaved!”
Within the Animal Management course at Kingham Hill, pupils prepare for and spend 75 hours on work experience placements in the Animal Care sector, developing valuable employability skills along the way.
For more information on Animal Management at Kingham Hill, please see our Sixth Form Prospectus.