Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre
4.8 4 reviews
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Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre
Wingspan is the National Bird of Prey Centre, showcasing New Zealand's birds of prey, including the threatened kārearea New Zealand falcon, found nowhere else in the world.
Nestled in the hills of Paradise Valley, Rotorua, is a project that will take you completely by surprise.
From grassroots beginnings in the 1980s and the founding of the charitable trust in 1992, Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre is now recognised as New Zealand’s leading conservation, education and research organisation for birds of prey, a programme of national significance.
Wingspan is a place where you can see birds of prey up close during interactive flying displays, hosted by the country’s leading experts. The 'Flight of the Falcon' displays showcase the spectacular flying skills of these amazing birds and are a unique educational experience enjoyed by children and adults alike.
Learn all about the threatened kārearea, the New Zealand native falcon, a species rarer than kiwi and found nowhere else in the world. Find out what Wingspan is doing to restore their populations and advocate for their protection. Witness demonstrations of the age-old and modern-day falconry techniques used to train and rehabilitate these magnificent birds.
See the birds from a whole new perspective, up-close and personal, by booking the new Meet & Greet Encounter with one of Wingspan's resident birds of prey and create new memories that will last a lifetime.
A visit to Wingspan is a unique experience you won't find elsewhere in New Zealand and one you won't soon forget.
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Wingspan National Bird of Prey CentreCommercial organisation |
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North Island ▷ Rotorua Region ▷ Rotorua |
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Operating Season And Hours |
Tuesdays to Sundays, 11am-1pm |
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Bird Watching
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Reviews
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A fantastic experience for anyone interested in NZ native birds of prey.
You learn more about the history of falconry and the important work the Wingspan trust is doing to keep our NZ falcon & other prey birds thriving in our country before getting a chance to see some of the birds up close and watch them showing off their amazing flight skills. I look forward to a return trip!
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Fantastic experience and fantastic value at only $20 for adult entry.
You get to see NZ falcons, owls and harriers in their large enclosures and a flight show where you can see and learn a lot about the falcons and how they are trained and exercised. The facility captive breeds endangered birds. The information provided is great and we also got the opportunity to have the falcon land on our gloved hand. It was a fantastic experience all round.
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There's nothing grandiose about Wingspan but you'll leave with the feeling that you experienced something special.
The people are passionate about NZ birds of prey and it rubs off.
Seeing the falcons, hawks and owls in the aviaries is nice but the real bonus is the falconry display. Watching the birds and their handlers working and hearing the stories is a gift. You even get the opportunity to hold the birds and look into their eyes.
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I really enjoyed this experience, I think one of the things that really stands out is the obvious passion the people at Wingspan have for their birds.
All the birds look very healthy and happy too. It is so good to witness the ancient art of Falconry here in New Zealand with a native endangered species. I'd recommend this to anyone remotely interested in birds.
