gauntlet birds of prey

An amazing place where you are able to interact with an amazing array of birds of prey. Fantastic opportunities to photograph the various birds in flight along with an informative commentary by very knowledgeable staff. Great value for money.

We went today 28/2 with our 2 children and my inlaws after a stay at the cottons for their Golden Wedding. We all had a fab afternoon and learnt a lot from very passionate and informative staff. I was actually emotional when 20 red kites were flying around over our heads, what a show and such a close encounter. Well worth sitting in the cold for, I think these guys need some more support in the winter months as I'm guessing many visitors come when it's warmer, they are doing so much good. The only downside was it looking a little tired,(stamps need re inking guys) but given they do so much for their charitys its not important.I will definitely be back, and not just in the summer! In- laws said they'd had a day to remember so thanks Gauntlet! :-)

We arrived at about 11.30am on a Saturday, in time to have a quick explore before the Vulture feeding time, which was followed by the outdoor flying display.Gauntlet is a not-for-profit organisation with a strong educational focus on conservation, which really comes through in their talks and displays. In the afternoon, we took part in the Simply Owls experience, which was simply fantastic. The only criticism of the handling experience I can think of was that the glove was way too big for me. The session lasted much longer than I'd imagined and for anyone interested in falconry, it's a brilliant way to get up close and personal with these wonderful birds. We are definitely planning another visit in the summer, when the weather is somewhat warmer.

Visited with our local Round Table and it was amazing. We were all able to handle large birds, some of them were rather intimidating, but no-one was persuaded to do more than you were comfortable with. The staff are very knowledgeable and able to answer all manner of questions about the birds.

I took my 18month old son here, as he is making lots of bird noises and his favourite word is birdies. It was fantastic, I didn't have to pay for him - which is a bonus - and we walked around looking at all the different varieties of owls and birds of prey. We both had a great thirty minutes just walking from enclosure to enclosure and I'd recommend it to anyone - this is the first of these I have been to so I don't have anything to compare it against. Thank you Gauntlet for a great time.

Fantastic day out at a reasonable price The staff are knowledgeable and it was great for my three year old son- definitely going back!

I attended a photographers' day with a friend and we had a superb experience. Peter is the centre's photographer and he understands not only the camera but the birds too. On a previous visit, we sussed that the staff here are ethical and enthusiasts and Peter was no different. The photo experience involved taking some birds in the woods in a more natural setting, private flying, some studio photography and then a really magical half hour taking birds in their flying area at sunset. As you first arrive at the centre and look at the birds in their pens and caves, it looks like there isn't much to do but talk to the staff, get a coffee etc to support them and attend the best displays of birds free flying that I have seen anywhere in the UK. Flying their multitude of black kites at once is a unique experience. A day will "fly" by, I promise!

We had booked a 'Family Experience Day' for my son's 9th birthday on a snowy January day. The staff were knowledgeable and friendly and, despite the weather, we all had a fun and interesting day out. I didn't get the impression, like some others, that the birds were badly cared for, but did wonder how often some of them were let out of their cages.I can see that they want to keep their overheads down as much as possible, but the centre could be greatly improved by the addition of a cafe so it's possible to escape the cold.

Dear Reviewer,In response to your recent review of Gauntlet Birds of prey. In answer to your concerns. Your first concern seemed to be the aviary size. It is understandable that some of our visitors with limited or little knowledge of birds of prey are unaware of their needs. Aviaries are designed to make the birds feel secure, very much what they seek in the wild when nesting in trees, wooded areas for example. Birds of prey are private creatures of habit and the aviary is used like they would a tree in the wild, where they would tuck up secure, other than when hunting. If their aviary is too large it does not provide protection from the elements and the security they require.Gauntlet has a zoo license and a stipulation of that is that we are inspected 3 monthly and re issued every 3 years by a state vet. Teathering is again a way of keeping the birds secure. When flying the birds are free to fly the whole area, they then return to us and happily sit on the perches. In the wild birds of prey only fly when they are hungry, that is no different in captivity. Some of the birds you saw on your visit are 20-30 years old. Birds that were not comfortable with the lifestyle in which they live would not reach such age.The bird you referred to under a heat lamp is a red legged seriema, due to them having extremely long legs they are more susceptible to cold extremities therefore any such birds are given a heat lamp to protect them from this happening, again He comes out several times a day and happily returns to his aviary of his own accord.Birds that are sad or depressed as you stated would show certain signs of stress such as feather loss, rocking etc, none of the birds at Gauntlet exhibit such behaviour. The vultures are fed several times a day. They are given carcasses as that is what they would eat in the wild. If they are not given bone as you saw, the beak gets too long, in turn hampers them from eating. Vultures in the wild rarely get full carcasses with excess meat, fluff, fur etc. If they were to be given this on a regular basis it could cause an impaction which could be life threatening, so this is a natural diet for vultures. I am not sure if you watched the 2 flying displays in which the birds came out, they also fly when the public are not there. Gauntlets committed staff are there 365 days a year in all weathers handling, exercising, training, flying and feeding the birds. The birds fly at Gauntlet daily which they have done since we opened in 1996, I can assure you that if they did not like the life they live they would not return to us.I hope this has answered your concerns and put your mind at rest,Kind regards,Gauntlet

We came here in early January on a groupon deal not really knowing what to expect. We attended two shows where the staff enthusiastically talked to us about the birds and showing them fly over our heads. One actually hit my head which serves me right for not ducking enough. I think it would be even better to visit in the warmer months. The birds looked superb even if we did see an owl eat a small mouse (dead) whole. I would happily come here again even without a deal.

Thank you for your review, the only we can improve the Gauntlet experience is by your comments so it is greatly appreciated. Glad you enjoyed your day, maybe visit us on a sunny day to watch our Marabous fly,Thanks again,Lisa

Went with a Groupon voucher, something to do to end the Christmas holidays. Thoroughly enjoyed it, staff friendly and helpful. It was cold but allowed to leave and enter (to warm up in the car) as many times as needed. Beautiful looking birds and great bird displays!! Would happily have paid full amount. Would visit again.

We live locally and had driven past many times and never called...until today. Really impressed with the amount of birds on display and the fantastic rapport between the handlers and the animals.The staff are very friendly and obviously love their jobs...it was a very cold day today. We loved Scoop the Raven that says hello and the vultures are fabulous but the bald headed eagle was amazing - such an impressive wing span!Definitely plan to go back and maybe even sponsor a bird.

Having never visited before we wasn`t sure what to expect.The weather was really bad which was a shame as everything was outside.Heather,a member of staff was really jolly and told us some interesting facts about vultures.All the staff were really friendly and the birds were well cared for so I really don`t understand what Boo-louise is going on about seeing as we were there the same day!All in all,a really good day out.

I'm quite dismayed with the review below, especially re the care of the birds, I've visited Gauntlet for many years now and also used them for flying displays at various Scout events I've organised. Graham and team have always been very professional , with a passion for the birds in their care. If the reviewer below had taken the time to watch how the birds interact on a personal basis with the staff, one can not help to see that the respond extremely positively to handling and flying, this most certainly wouldn't be the case if they were being maltreated!!! I know and can state that the welfare of the birds is paramount in all that Gauntlet do, including the aviaries, flying displays and transporting the birds too. So don't take any notice of the negative review below, go along to Gauntlet for an excellent experience, two flying displays a day, plus vulture feeding, it might not be a full day out but definitely around three hours, then see both flying displays. We've just come back after a very cold few hours there but as always a thoroughly great time!