Oska – Barking Owl
Scientific Name: Ninox connivens
Oska is famous for entertaining the crowd with his bark. The ’ wuf wuf’, sounds very much like a dog. Watch out for his head rotation and grumpy face.
Oska was born in captivity at Eagles Heritage in October 2005 and passed onto the Western Australian birds of Prey Centre for educaitonal displays.
Nicknamed the ‘Winking Owl’ and Oska always winks with his left eye.
Ford – Brown Falcon
Scientific Name: Falco berigora
Ford was born in September 2004.
This species is known for catching snakes. During flying displays she demonstrates her hunting skills with a rubber snake.
She catches the snake from the ground, running and then mantling (spreading her wings and fanning her tail) over her prey.
GT – Brown Falcon
Scientific Name: Falco berigora
GT is a male who was born in November 2005.
GT will often fill in for Ford during displays but he also takes up the role for glove-work, giving the brave the opportunity to ‘hold’ a bird on the glove.
GT was illegally transported into the state from South Australia. Hitching a ride in GT was a disease. A disease that if untreated can be fatal to its host and other animals the parasite was to come in contact with.
The disease was Filarioid Nematodes – in simple terms internal worms. This particular genus feds on tissue around the joints. The tarsus is one area the symptoms are very obvious.
With simple treatment the Nematodes died and were absorbed back into the body.
This is a good example of how important it is to quarantine especially if you do not know the history of the animal you are treating.
Petra – Australian Kestrel
Scientific Name: Falco cenchroides
Petra is a male Kestrel, born in September 2004.
A species renown for hovering, remaining suspended in the air looking for its prey. Favourite food is field mice.
During flying displays, Petra demonstrates a number of natural behavours including hovering, low lying flights, and hunting on the ground.
Bee – Whistling Kite
Species Name: Haliaster sphenurus
Bee is a male, born in October 2004.
Nervous bird by nature but in front of a crowd Bee has no fear of flying up close during the flying displays.
This species is known for catching on the wing with its talons and tranfering the food into the break while remaining in the air. Other natural behavours include raking, stealing and fishing.
Pandora – Black Kite
Species Name:Milvus migrans
Pandora is a female Black Kite born in August 2004.
Dont get confused by the name because they are not a black bird. Black kites are a mixture of light and dark brown certainly not a black bird are the name suggests.
During flying displays Pandora shows a number of natural behavours including circling and souring, catching on the wing, raking stealing and fishing.
Another natural behavour is fire stick farming demonstrated by picking up sticks and moving them to other locations.
Micro - Wedge-tailed Eagle
Jenna is a female Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis) who is around 5 years old now (2007).
Her favourite task is simulating hunting, by catching a ‘flying’ leather pad. Jenna also gets up-close & personal with the crowd herslef, as she flies amongst those watching the display.
Chilli
Chilli is a male Barn Owl (Tyto alba) who was born in May 2006.
He is a ‘static’ part of the display, which gives people a great opportunity to get up close and personal to Chilli, and feel his soft downy feathers.