Eagles Flying
Eagles Flying is the largest sanctuary for birds of prey and owls in Ireland. It is located in Ballymote in County Sligo. This location offers visitors a chance to see at first hand roughly 270 birds and animals from 63 different species.
Irish Raptor Research Centre
A photo taken from The Irish Raptor Research Centre in Ballymote, County Sligo
Copyright by Eagles Flying, Co. SligoIrish Raptor Research Centre
Copyright by Eagles Flying, Co. Sligo
Copyright by Eagles Flying, Co. Sligo
Irish Raptor Research Centre
A photo taken from The Irish Raptor Research Centre in Ballymote, County Sligo
Copyright by Eagles Flying, Co. SligoEagles Flying first started off as The Irish Raptor Research Centre, which opened in 1999. It was set up to carry out research on all the kinds of bird of prey found in Ireland. The IRRC were surprised and delighted to notice that the public were very interested in their work so they opened up parts of the centre to the public. In the summer of 2003, Eagles Flying opened to invite people in to watch the daily training with some of the birds being kept there.
Hospital
The centre also runs a hospital for injured birds and other helpless wildlife, which can hopefully be returned to nature once they're on the mend. The hospital is now the busiest part of the sanctuary.
The centre runs flying demonstrations on a daily basis where you can see how these different groups of birds have their own unique way of flying and hunting. During the flying demonstrations scientists will inform you about the biology of the birds of prey and their important role in nature. Apart from being great fun, visiting the centre can be very educational too as you can find out all you need to know about the different types of species and birds there are.
Types of raptor
Raptor is another name for a bird of prey. A hooked bill and mostly long and needle-sharp claws (or talons) are the characteristic features of a bird of prey. Most of these raptors would hunt for meat but there are some that feed mainly on fish, insects and other small creatures.
Himalayan vulture
A Himalayan vulture protecting its young in the Irish Raptor Research Centre in Ballymote, County Sligo
Copyright by Eagles Flying, Co. SligoHimalayan vulture
Copyright by Eagles Flying, Co. Sligo
Copyright by Eagles Flying, Co. Sligo
Himalayan vulture
A Himalayan vulture protecting its young in the Irish Raptor Research Centre in Ballymote, County Sligo
Copyright by Eagles Flying, Co. SligoScientists have worked out that at present, there are four orders of birds which could be called birds of prey. They are The Accipitriformes, which have roughly 220 species including hawks, eagles and buzzards. Next, there are The Falconiformes, which have about 60 species of falcons. Then, there are The Cathartiformes, which have 7 species of new world vultures and finally The Strigiformes, which deals with the 220 species of owls.
Nature
All these birds are fascinating and they play a very important role in nature. They are responsible for the health and well-being of the populations of their prey animals.
Kestrel
An image of a kestrel taken at the Irish Raptor Research Centre in County Sligo.
Copyright by Eagles Flying, Co. SligoKestrel
Copyright by Eagles Flying, Co. Sligo
Copyright by Eagles Flying, Co. Sligo
Kestrel
An image of a kestrel taken at the Irish Raptor Research Centre in County Sligo.
Copyright by Eagles Flying, Co. SligoThey do this by hunting the weak, infected animals to make sure that diseases aren't spread and that the stronger ones survive to have healthier children.
An important thing to remember about birds of prey is that they don't kill for the sake of killing. They only kill to have some food. As soon as they have had their meal they will not touch another creature. This can be seen in the sanctuary where you can watch falcons flying together with pigeons as well as eagles and hawks landing right beside rabbits and guinea-pigs.