Thirsk Birds Of Prey Centre — Attraction in Kirby Wiske

Ratings like this do NOT lie!

After visiting the UK for a few months every year since 2017, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit many different Centres for birds of prey. Some focus on conservation while other feature education/awareness- or both. I always pay the full price to buy up all tickets so that I have a private session when visiting. It’s a worthy cause and wonderful to have the one-on-one time with the birds and caregivers.

This year I experienced something far superior to all prior outings. The Thirsk Birds of Prey Centre is operated by a family and it’s clear how passionate they are for birds, especially those in their care. They operate a spotless sanctuary for some really incredible birds, all of them in open enclosure with views of everything. These are very healthy and happy animals and it shows. The variety of birds was so very impressive. I felt sincerely welcomed by the parents and the adult children who have centered their lives around the amazing birds living at this facility. They fly the birds daily and allow visitors to experience this by wearing the proper attire and feeding several. I was educated on the history of each bird and could really see their personalities. Many have been rescued while others have been surrendered. Some have been purchased. The family was very open and honest about not running a charity but rather a sanctuary.

In comparison, the prior Centers I’ve visited have all been wonderful but I was rushed quickly through, learning very little or nothing on most of the birds. I would fly one or two birds and later be left to my own accord to read the plagues for the birds on display. The individual family members at Thirsk Birds of Prey would be working in the background while each of them individually took turns taking me to a different bird with a different history. I saw several different families come through the Centre while I was there and all were treated equally well.

This is the place to visit if you have an interest in 1) large variety of vulchers/falcons/owls/hawks/eagles, 2) very well educated guides who share their passion simply by patiently discussing the individual birds and their years together, 3) personally interacting with a wide variety of birds, and 4) very patient and personal staff that are as invested in you as you are in them.

This place is amazing and you are missing a once-in-a-lifetime experience if you miss it. It is an experience you will remember...

This place really deserves 5 stars and that's down to the bird handlers, displays and the birds. If you are lucky enough to get past the rude woman in the gift shop who is quick to tell your their DONT'S. As soon as my partner got a drink from the fridge....we were told at least 4 times that no food and drink could be consumed in the flying area & that's before we left the shop. He repeatedly told them it's ok I'll put it in the bag to be told again NO DRINKS! Customer service is definitely not her strong point, the way she spoke to my 14 year old daughter, yes 14, her camera lens was apparently too big, we hadn't realised as we didn't have a ruler to measure it with. A ruler was whipped out from behind the counter and it was deemed 0.2 of an inch too big....she's a child for goodness sake with a massive love of birds, not sure what she thought she would be doing with the pictures. This put a dampner on the day however, we reluctantly stayed for the 2nd bird show, which was absolutely FANTASTIC and credit goes to the two that carried this out, the way they handled the birds was fantastic. Sorry to say we didnt buy from the gift shop as we would usually do in places like this as we didn't want to encounter the rude/abrupt lady. She had already upset my daughter in the manner she spoke to her in. Maybe a customer service skills course is required as I work in this field and wouldn't dream of speaking to my...

Amazing visit from start to finish. I love, love, love this place ? It's the loveliest such place I've visited. All of the enclosures are very clean, clearly thought out, carefully constructed and obviously well maintained, unlike some of the other places I've visited over the years. The staff, from those running reception / tickets and gift shop, to the falconers (I think that's the right term) are welcoming, friendly, helpful, and great with kids. As a special treat I paid for my daughter to do their 'Meet the Minnies' handling experience. She got to get a glove on and hold two birds, a tiny owl, Gizmo (the cutest little fella you could imagine), and another small bird which she was almost equally mesmerised by. She was extremely lucky as we were the only people on the session so she had the undivided attention of Colin the falconer who was very knowledgeable and made it really engaging for a 9 year old. The displays were brilliant, with a variety of birds for each of the themed shows every few hours. We saw the pre lunch time show 'Warriors of the Sky' and the big summer special 'African Adventure', both were fantastic, but the latter with a David Attenborough (alike) voice over was almost like being in one of his documentaries. It's a few years since I visited last, but think my daughter will want to...