Owl Sanctuary ready for Easter
The Easter holidays herald a new flying season at Suffolk Owl Sanctuary.
The centre’s 80+ resident birds have spent the winter months tucked away in their aviaries, resting and moulting feathers and are now in tip top condition to educate and entertain visitors. Sadly, avian flu restrictions have prevented public flying so far this year, but as soon as these are lifted the birds will be ready to take flight!
Two flying displays will take place daily, at 11.30am and 2.30pm and each will showcase a different selection of birds, carefully chosen by the falconry team for their interesting natural behaviours, their awesome aerial skills and their confident demeanour in front of a public audience.
Not all the sanctuary’s birds are psychologically suited to demonstrating their natural behaviours in displays and those individuals are freely accommodated in luxurious species- specific aviaries throughout the centre, in which they can enjoy uninterrupted ‘bird-time’ with a pal!
The bolder characters make up the popular flying team. These birds are happy to soar and glide around the centre’s large arena, informing visitors of their individualistic traits as well as their intuitive behaviours and recognisable habits. The displays are all accompanied by a lively and entertaining commentary appealing to younger visitors as well as parents and grandparents.
The avian line-up for the 2023 flying team has yet to be finalised, but will likely include a wide variety of owls, vultures, caracaras, falcons and the ever popular laughing kookaburra!
Meerkat talks will also be held twice daily, at 11.00am and 2pm. These entertaining characters are guaranteed to provide hours of fun playing together in their ‘mob’ with a variety of custom made enrichment resources. The meerkats are currently located in the pretty Woodland Walk which is also home to the shy red squirrels and the exotic spectacled owls – always popular with visitors who wear glasses!!
In this area, visitors can also experience the smells and sounds of a woodland and note some simple, natural innovations for encouraging wildlife such as bug hotels, butterfly feeders, wildlife ponds and a hedgehog teepee.
The indoor education centre borders a new, supplementary sanctuary area housing golden eagles, snowy owls, ravens and the majestic bald eagle, Lincoln.
A new suite of retirement aviaries is also located here, offering a more secluded setting in which the sanctuary’s older residents can enjoy some quietude away from the centre’s busy hub.
The children’s play area provides custom built inclusive equipment including a wheelchair accessible roundabout and double width slide to accommodate a child and carer. Souvenirs can be obtained in the unique owl gift shop and Cafe 24 offers hot and cold food and refreshments just a few steps from the sanctuary’s front door.
Parking spaces for disabled visitors are provided in front of the sanctuary and secure dog kennels are available for the use of the sanctuary’s visitors. For more information please contact the admin team on 0345 680 789 (option 3)