By Victoria

Last Tuesday, year 8 went on a trip to the Hawk Conservancy to learn about birds of prey and how they live. They went to two shows where the birds flew over their heads, and they got to see the birds eat. The year group also got to walk around the grounds seeing different types of owls and vultures.

The habitats they lived in were recreated in their homes. Some of the birds have been at the conservancy their whole lives which means that they don’t know what life in their natural habitat is like, because of this they don’t exactly act the same way a bird in the wild would but still do a lot of the same things. For example, one owl that was born at the conservancy mimics the sound of a rattlesnake to scare predators when the children come nearby just like it would in the wild. This is also to warn the other owls nearby so they can hide from any predators.

While at the conservancy year 8 also got to see a hooded vulture. They watched as he flew around the arena and learnt lots of cool facts about him. For example: vultures don’t have hair on their heads, so they don’t get food caught in it as vultures are known for eating dead carcasses. Another fact is that vultures are actually one of the cleanest birds as they must wash themselves frequently because of their food choices. While other birds can get away with not washing after eating it is crucial for vultures as if they don’t wash then they may become ill due to the bacteria.

Overall, the year group had a great day out and learnt lots about the birds in our country!