Flying Displays - Meet The Team
Oska - Barking Owl
Scientific Name: Ninox connivens
Barking Owls are mostly nocturnal, and tend to be found in pairs. Their call is a characteristic ‘wuk wuk’ or ‘wuf wuf’, and sounds very much like a dog.
Oska was born in October 2005.
Ford - Brown Falcon
Scientific Name: Falco berigora
Ford was born in September 2004.
She is very good at catching snakes.
During flying displays she demonstrates this 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.
He does a lot of glove-work, giving the crowd the opportunity to ‘hold’ the bird on the glove. GT is pictured with the young girl on our homepage.
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
Petra is a male Australian Kestrel (Falco cenchroides) who was born in September 2004.
Hovering, low lying flights, and running are Petra’s main behaviours demonstrated in the shows.
Bee
Bee is a male Whistling Kite (Haliaster sphenurus) who was born in October 2004.
Bee likes to circle and soar around the arena.
He demonstrates how Whistling Kites can catch food on the wing and then transfer it into their beak’s, plus fishing, stealing and raking.
Pandora
Pandora is a female Black Kite (Milvus migrans).
She was born in August 2004.
An original member of the Birds of Prey Flying Displays, Pandora demonstrates raking, circling, and her ability to pick sticks up off the ground.
You’ll be amazed to know why Black Kites do this in the wild too!
Jenna
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.
