Wild wings at Wingspan
Ribbon the kārearea / falcon
Oh how I love Wingspan. It’s one of the only places in the country to see our native kārearea / falcons up close and very personal.
Kārearea are our only diurnal bird of prey, they are majestic birds capable of flying at speeds in excess of 100kms per hour, that’s super speedy! Getting the opportunity to see these impressive birds up close is pretty darn special. Nowhere else do you get the chance to admire the feather patterns and intricate details of these beautiful birds, and get to see them perform their hunting technique right before your eyes. In addition to that, they may just perch on top of your head, if you’re as lucky as me.
Arohaki the kārearea / falcon perched on top of my head
Ribbon looking alert
kārearea feathers up close
I have visited Wingspan quite a few times and it never disappoints, I go for the experience and also to take the opportunity to get photos of our beautiful native kārearea. I always try my best to get photos of the birds in flight so I can use them for reference for illustrations. It’s not always easy but the best chance is during the flight display, which is like ‘hunting practice’ where the birds chase lures that mimic wild prey.
On the day I visited, Ribbon the female kārearea was going to be performing in the flight display. Right at the start of the flight display something unexpected happened, a wild kārearea came to check out the resident birds! The wild one made its distinctive ke-ke-ke calls and the Wingspan staff were a bit worried there would be a fight between the birds. Luckily the wild kārearea didn’t come too close, it was intent on chasing a flock of goldfinches in the distance. But during the flight display I kept looking upwards and I could see it hovering around above the hills.
A wild kārearea visiting Wingspan
That was a pretty exciting moment, but perhaps an even more exciting moment was still to come. Enter Jarli the Barn Owl. What a stunning bird she is, so elegant, and so full of personality. She’s a crowd favourite for obvious reasons, and I sure enjoyed getting the rare chance to see a bird that I wouldn’t be able to see elsewhere. Barn Owls are very rare in NZ, they are considered our newest native bird, having arrived to our shores on their own accord. There are only several in the country so getting to see one is pretty special. Jarli enjoyed munching on a delicious mouse in front of us, and also was prompted to fly for another treat, she was very reluctant but eventually showed off her marvellous wings and silent flight. Perfect for creeping up on an unsuspecting meal.
Jarli the Barn Owl enjoying a mouse
Jarli the Barn Owl in flight
