Useful Falconry Links

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WELCOME TO THE ONLINE RESOURCE FOR FALCONERS AND THOSE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT BIRDS OF PREY

Whether you are searching for factual information and articles on falconry and its impact, bird of prey teaching resources, or news and blogs from falconers - there is something for everyone.

The Hawk Board represents all falconers and bird of prey keepers in the UK

Whatever bird of prey interests you, whether you are a falconer, breeder, display giver or rehabilitator, the Hawk Board is there for you. 

The The Hawk Board works continuously and tirelessly to protect all our rights to keep and fly raptors.

Our organisation is dedicated to the preservation of the ancient art of falconry, a hunting tradition defined as ‘taking quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of trained birds of prey‘. Preserving falconry involves maintaining not only the traditional culture that builds practical skills of empathy with animals, but also the conservation of raptors and their prey through Preservation Of Natural Habitats. We therefore encourage falconry within the context of sustainable use of wildlife.

IAF is an accredited NGO providing advisory services to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee (NGO-90006) and an accredited member of IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature.

EFFC's mission is to bring falconry’s values to Europe’s future by enhancing the long-held conservation role of falconers in a European context. EFFC is supporting and funding projects in which falconry’s vast knowledge and expertise is relevant. Its focus is on two main areas: Conservation & Animal Welfare, and Culture & Education.

The Peregrine Fund is a non-profit organisation founded in 1970 that conserves threatened and endangered birds of prey worldwide. 

The successful recovery in the United States of the Peregrine Falcon, which was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species List in 1999, enabled the organisation to expand its mission to include other endangered raptors around the world. 

The Peregrine Fund is headquartered at its World Centre for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, on a 580-acre campus with breeding and research facilities, an administrative office, interpretive centre, research library, and archives.

Promoting the work of George Edward Lodge.

The British Archives of Falconry’s aim is to preserve the unbroken living heritage of falconry in Britain for future generations

Falconry – Inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mankind.

The Archives of Falconry collects, preserves, and makes accessible the physical evidence of falconers' achievements worldwide and documents their role in raptor conservation. Falconers have made significant contributions to the understanding of raptor biology and conservation.

As the early practitioners of falconry in North America died, falconers realised that the physical evidence of their history was being lost, The Peregrine Fund founded the Archives of American Falconry in 1986. 

The name was changed to the Archives of Falconry in 2004 to reflect the international origins of American falconry.

The FHT aims to establish a portal for the world's falconers and other interested parties to access aspects of the sport's rich heritage by linking existing physical archives, including international private and public collections, through the medium of an electronic archive. This archive will feature falconry furniture, works of art, books, correspondence from leading falconers and film and photographic material for the education and interest of falconer and scholar alike. We hope that, whatever your background or interest in our sport, you may find something of value through our archive to deepen your knowledge, understanding and passion for falconry and will help us, through your support, to preserve this precious cultural heritage for future generations.

The Falconry and Cigar-makers Museum consists of two collections.

The Falconry Museum gives an impression of falconry in the period from 1650 till today, this includes also the period in which royals and aristocrats entertained their guests with the "feather play".

The Cigar-makers Museum depicts the development of the making of cigars in Valkenswaard from 1865 to its downfall.

The link between falconry and cigar-making is the rich English falconer Richard Hamond, for a long time a resident in Valkenswaard. On his death in 1845 he left a heritage of 24,000 guilders to Jan van Best, who used this money in 1865 to start a cigar-making factory.

The Independent Bird Register was set up in 1994 by Jenny Wray at the request of fellow falconers following de-registration of certain non-indigenous birds of prey. Its main purpose was to ensure that lost and found birds could be efficiently reunited with their keepers.

The most sensible way of doing this was to build a confidential database containing details of bird keepers and their birds and to start issuing rings that could be traced. The rings would be uniquely numbered and carry a national telephone number enabling anyone to contact the IBR at any time to report a lost or found bird.

IBR closed rings were designed to comply with UK legislation and are accepted by DEFRA and APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) formally AHVLA as a means of permanently marking birds.

Since it’s conception in 1994, the IBR now has the most comprehensive database containing 1000’s of keeper and bird records, which has assisted in reuniting birds the length and breadth of the UK and into Europe.

The new National Centre for Birds of Prey is set in the most wonderful ancient woodlands of Duncombe Park on the outskirts of Helmsley. We started here because Charlie Heap, one of the directors, used to work for the our sister centre in Gloucestershire (www.icbp.org) followed by running a bird of prey centre at Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland, then changing his life and doing other things for many years before finally deciding he wanted to get back into working with birds of prey.

With his own house completed, plus a super wife and a son, he thought he would fill his life again with raptors. So in 2011 we spoke to Jake Duncombe, the owner of Duncombe Park, and got his interest going, sat down and drew up lots of plans and then started the dreaded planning application. We won’t go into the ensuing battle (well not right now), suffice it to say that in the end we won, although almost gave up at several junctures, and the building started in January 2012. Needless to say that the weather although starting off well deteriorated into one of the wettest years on record, which did not help the building. However Charlie did not give up and in November a convoy of vehicles arrived from Newent with a substantial collection of birds to live in their brand spanking new enclosures.

The centre was first opened to the public on May 25th 1967 as a family business by Philip Glasier, a very well-known falconer of his time.

He wanted to be able to expand his knowledge and share it with others and at the same time earn a living from it.

It was the only dedicated bird of prey centre in the UK at the time, and just one of two in the world at that time, the other being in Germany.

Over time and under the direction of Jemima Parry-Jones the daughter of Philip Glasier the emphasis changed and the conservation of all birds of prey became its primary concern.

It is now the oldest dedicated bird of prey centre in the world; it has the largest and most successful breeding collection of Falconiformes and Strigiformes (diurnal or day flying birds of prey and owls) and is most respected in the ornithological and scientific world of raptors.  Its long-term conservation work is second to no other raptor centre worldwide.

Never forgetting its falconry beginnings it is good to know that Falconry is now recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The Hawk Conservancy Trust is the conservation of birds of prey. 

As a registered charity, we couldn’t do our work without you and we aim to make your day at the Trust as memorable and as enjoyable as possible.

Whether it’s the thrill of holding one of our rare birds or prey, watching world-class flying displays in one of our three display arenas, or simply meandering through our 22 acre grounds of woodland and wildflower meadow, we want to share with you our love of birds of prey and encourage you to join in our mission to conserve them.

We care for more than 130 birds of prey from owls to eagles and during your visit, we’ll tell you more about each species and our efforts to protect them. 

Our purpose-built National Bird of Prey Hospital™ is where sick, injured or orphaned raptors are cared for and where you can take a sneaky peek at some of our ongoing rehabilitation work.

For 50 years the Hawk and Owl Trust has been dedicated to conserving owls and birds of prey in the wild, conserving and managing their habitats and increasing knowledge and the understanding of them. Here on our website you will find more information about birds of prey and owls, their lives, their habits and behaviour and the threats that they face. Discover more about the work that we do creating and managing habitats, carrying out practical research and bringing the wonder of these birds to everyone through interpretation and education.

As top predators, birds of prey are a barometer of the overall health of the environment. Our two nature reserves in Norfolk and Somerset are great places to visit and all are bursting with wildlife; from fungi to mammals, plants to birds of prey. They are also places where we can actively demonstrate means of managing habitats for the benefit of all wildlife.

The Welsh Owl Garden is set within the grounds of Pembrokeshire’s Finest Stately Home, Picton Castle. Forty acres of some of the most beautiful woodland gardens in West Wales.​

Flying a variety of Raptors and non-raptors along a selection of exotic animals on show to the public.

New for 2021 - Eurasian Otter exhibit.

Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre is located within the boundaries of the first National Park in Scotland, Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park. The centre is just 30 minute drive from Glasgow, easily reached by car, bus, or train. So, if you are looking for a Bird of Prey encounter, why not come along and spend a few hours in the company of these remarkable creatures. 

There are over thirty Birds of Prey and Owls, representing twenty-six species including all 5 British Owls. Birds of all sizes, the Little Owl, Kestrels, Buzzards, Hawks, Falcons and Eagles, including "Orla", our Golden Eagle. 

Education is at the heart of our mission and we have daily flying shows and an education cabin to complete your visit

Raptor Aid CIO is a registered charity within England (1177127) whose aim is to help educate, support and carry out bird of prey conservation in the UK and abroad. Our two main charitable objectives are:

To advance the education of the public in matters pertaining to birds of prey (raptors), their habitats, species conservation and monitoring, ornithology and avian biology.

To promote for the benefit of the public the conservation and protection of birds of prey (raptors) and their habitats.

Birds of prey around the world have interested man for decades; whether it was through religion, society, literature and cultures, they have had some influence on humanity. In modern days with the rise in human populations, use of natural resources and commercialisation of the world, birds of prey like many other species have felt the pressure on their survival. We hope to help more people understand birds of prey, including how they live and how we as the human race can live cooperatively with these incredible birds.