Kielder Water Bird Of Prey Centre — Attraction in England

We visited to attend a Birds of Prey Taster Session and also visit the centre and watch a flying session. The centre was well sign posted although some of the roads around Kielder are winding and narrow so larger vehicles should take care. There's a small car park close to the centre and a larger one near to the lakeside, with a pub, shop and bathroom facilities close by plus the Birds of Prey centre also has a small gift shop onsite.

The whole experience was wonderful, my partner and I enjoyed every moment of our day here and we left with big smiles. Payment was on arrival and we then disinfected our shoes before joining Shane to meet the birds. I was extremely nervous beforehand but I felt very reassured by the rapport and trust between Shane and the birds. Shane talked about the centre and the birds first and then it was time for me to put the glove on and hold and feed some birds myself. We started off with owls including a bigger than expected snowy owl before swapping to a more heavy duty glove to hold and feed a gry x saker falcon and then Corey, a harris hawk who I couldn't feed as he just got stuck into the container of food! Shane was very knowledgeable, had a great sense of humour and we loved seeing his enthusiasm and love for the birds. An incredible birthday experience! We then visited the centre itself, there's a good variety of birds to see here from owls to kestrels and falcons.

We managed a quick lunch then returned for the flying display. Shane led, with 2 other members of staff assisting. Most of the birds followed instructions, some didn't....but that's to be expected. Again, Shane's knowledge and humour shone through and everyone in the audience got a chance to hold most of the birds, big smiles all round. It was wonderful to see the birds swooping and (sometimes) catching insects, the birds all clearly cared for and looked after. Thanks to everyone at the centre - we had a fantastic day out and will return! 5 stars...

When we first arrived, we almost expected to be in and out within 30 minutes or so as its quite small...but we were so wrong!

We really enjoyed looking around the enclosures, the info signs letting you know the birds name and information on where they woukd be in the wild, what they eat and some other facts was great. We were just on the last bird, when Shane (one of the workers) came out with a tiny owl and asked if we would like to meet her. He gave us lots of information and let us stroke her.

We ended up thinking we should do one more lap, and Ben (the other worker that day) joined us in one section and was giving us some more personalised information about the birds personalities (some was really funny - I hope Barry and Shane are still happy together!).

We enjoyed it so much, we decided to pop out for an ice-cream by the water side and then come back for one of the flying demonstrations- because once you have paid you can come and go as you please which was great! The show was fantastic and interactive and everyone had a chance to have a birds land on a glove which was great! Not only that but the commentary was both really informative and hilarious in parts. We really felt like we learned a few things, but had such a good time along the way.

What you guys do to protect the birds is fantastic, but your passion for the birds there really shines in all you did. Honestly, well done both Ben and Shane. We would definitely return...

Looked at both this Bird Of Prey Centre and the nearby ‘Falconry Days’ experience when planning a day out with my partner. I was conflicted at first, having read both websites and the negative comments pointed at the way each centre operate along with several contrasting reviews. However, really glad we chose to visit the site at Kielder Water. Having been already sceptical I was not totally comfortable seeing some of these beautiful birds tethered to a perch, but after reading the information cards and getting an insight and understanding of captive breeding programs I felt at ease and really enjoyed looking at the magnificent species that live there. We stayed for both flight sessions, which was mesmerising, fun and informative. What is apparent is that Shane and the team love what they do and their passion and in particular knowledge really does tell the story and create a wonderful experience for everybody. From old age pensioners to toddlers, from the fully able to the disabled the joy on everyone’s face was there to see. It is evident that the birds are looked after and live longer lives than they would do in the wild. Overall, great day out thanks to the wonderful staff and a pleasure to be able see and even hold the birds up close. Took loads of photos as memories, but uploaded my favourite, taken as the Eagle Owl struck my phone as it was coming into...