Nature Features

The Cornish Birds of Prey Centre was bought by Mick, Kath and Kelly Browne and Falconer Andy Grigg in January 2007.

Andy, who's 30, owned his first bird when he was 12. He says: "There something about birds of prey. They are a mystery.

Andy Grigg with Ruby the Common Buzzard.

"We own 110 birds but you never really own the bird. The bird is always wild. They are not toys, they are not pets. There is something about them which is unique."

Falconry was used for centuries as a means of catching food for the kitchen table. Nowadays it's considered a sporting activity.

Three times a day Andy puts on a flying demonstration at the centre's flying field. He says developing a relationship with the bird is crucial and it requires patience and skill.

He says: "Some birds you can retrain but you always know they're a bit feisty but other birds you can't do a thing with. That just comes down to inexperience and people buying them as pets - and that's one thing they're not is pets."

Andy says unfortunately owning a bird of prey has become fashionable. Often owners don't know enough about what's involved in looking after a bird.

He says: "If you wanted a bird of prey you could locate one fairly easily. A lot of them aren't expensive. Our oldest display bird is thirty years old, so they do live for a long time. It's not a fashion accessory it's a commitment."

The centre is home to 110 birds.

The centre has a range of birds including hawks, owls, falcons, buzzards, kestrels and vultures. There are also animals like rabbit, deer and zebu, which is a type of humped cattle.

Andy's favourite bird of prey is the falcon. He says: " I have a Gyr hybrid here and I've had her for nine years. She is a stunning falcon.

"The Gyr is the largest falcon in the world. You find that Gyrs don't acclimatises that well to Britain because of the weather. So by developing a hybrid you improve their immune system and make them more adaptable to the UK. She's a lovely bird."

Andy says in the future there are plans to make the aviaries bigger to give the birds more room to move around.