Virginia offers several places to see birds of prey in flight and even interact with them. Read on for details on three:
Take your hawk to work: David Culotta trains Odin to perch in his Ashland carpet workroom, Divine Designs. Thawed, day-old chicks serve as encouraging nourishment. Photography by Kyle LaFerriere
BOAR’S HEAD RESORT, Charlottesville:
Interact with a variety of captive-bred, trained birds, including owls, falcons, and hawks. Falconry at the Boar’s Head includes both beginner and introductory levels where participants learn about the history of the sport, watch a flying demonstration, meet the birds, and enjoy the thrill of a hands-on experience. BoarsHeadOutfitters.com
OMNI HOMESTEAD RESORT, Hot Springs:
Master falconer Linda Spence leads educational and interactive workshops that introduce guests to the resort’s menagerie of birds, including lanner and aplomado falcons, a Eurasian eagle owl, and three Harris’s hawks. Guests can take a walk with a raptor and may see them attack prey. OmniHotels.com
RAPTOR HILL FALCONRY, Stanley:
Master falconer Jennifer Westhoff offers five different experiences, including an owl encounter and a half-day falconry course in the Shenandoah Valley. Her bird inventory includes two lanner falcons, a barn owl, an Eurasian eagle owl, a red-tailed hawk, a Harris’s hawk, a saker falcon, and an augur buzzard. RaptorHill.com
SALAMANDER RESORT, Middleburg:
Birds of Prey Interaction, a two-hour session, covers the history of the sport, a flying demonstration, hands-on instructions in basic bird-handling, and a chance for participants to call a hawk to their gloved hand. The birds used vary, but may include a Harris’s hawk, a peregrine falcon, and a gyrsaker falcon. SalamanderResort.com
Learn more about falconry here.
This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue.
