We currently have four falcons all from different species: Click on the breed name to see a picture

Types of Falcon

There are a number of different types of falcon, some of the main ones are:  

Gyr Falcon ( Falco rusticolus )  

These are the largest falcons. They live in sub arctic regions all around the globe. They are extremely fast in flight.  

Saker Falcon ( Falco cherrug )  

Sometimes known as desert falcons, they spend winter in desert areas and are very popular with Arab falconers.  They migrate to North Africa in winter, spending summer months in Eastern Europe and Asia .  

Peregrine Falcon ( Falco peregrinus )  

There are many subspecies of Peregrine falcon, spread around the world.They are popular with falconers as they are very persistent and will chase quarry for many minutes.  

Lanner Falcon ( Falco biarmicus )  

They are native to most of Africa and coastal regions around the Mediterranean .Lanner Falcons are relatively easy to train and are often used as a “stepping stone” to flying Peregrine Falcons.

“Lesser” Falcons  

Some smaller breeds belong to the falcon family. Examples are:  

Merlin ( Falco columbarius )  

These are found in Scandinavia , North America and all but the most south easterly parts of Britain

They are the smallest British falcon.  

Hobby ( Falco subbuteo )  

Native to most of Europe and Asia , Hobbies are only seen in the south of Britain in summer.

 Kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus )  

These are commonly seen hovering over British motorways. Whilst larger falcons require warm air thermal currents to remain stationary in the air, kestrels can hover in still air by “fanning” their wings.