It's awesome that you're going to do that. I can't wait to hear about it. I'm a bird watcher so I'm always interested in anything having to do with birds.
I've seen Ray Pena at the Renn Faire in PA and I loved watching him. He used to use mainly Harris Hawks. One year he had a Euraisan Eagle owl that was totally stunning. She had these enormous orange eyes you couldn't believe. You could go to the back of the Faire and visit the birds while they were resting (just to see them, not to touch). They were my favorite thing. I remember one Harris was named Isabeau, like the movie Ladyhawke. I never forgot those birds.
The first Bird of Prey I held was a Eurasian Eagle Owl! I tend to impress the people at bird events with my knowledge of birds, and I almost always get to hold one. I also love releasing them back into the wild. It is exciting to watch them fly away. I like Harris Hawks, they hunt in groups, and are very common birds for falconry. Once I become a master Falconer, I'll get a golden eagle! You can hunt deer with them!
I have recently fallen in love with barn owls because of Molly and McGee, the pair in San Marcos, California. They had a webcam in the box and everyone who watched it got to see the babies hatch and grow to adulthood. It was pretty cool.
Barn owls are beautiful. Where I used to live in PA we had one winter where there were 2 Great Horned Owls mating. I used to sit on my roof at night and hear them calling to each other. One flew by me and my husband about five feet away. I love birds. I've been a bird watcher for 17 years now.
I have a creek behind me and we get Little Green Herons, Night Herons, Great Blue Herons and Egrets. I saw a Kingfisher one time too.
Having a Golden Eagle would be amazing! I've never seen one in the wild, only at the Phila Zoo.
I've seen one in the wild. The Golden eagle flew 5 feet away from me! Barn owls are my favorite birds. I hear they are good for spotlight hunting. You shine a spotlight on a patch of grass, and when you see something you let the bird go.
I got a Halloween Beanie Baby owl this year and took it to the zoo. Attached is a picture of a Spectacled Owl that was very curious about the little stuffed owl. He/she even talked!
Golden Eagles are also gorgeous. We saw one up close during our last trip to the zoo; they'd recently acquired her and had her out on a slow day to get her used to being around people without being overwhelmed.
I saw a Golden eagle one time in the mountains in Colorado. I also saw an owl outside a building where I had classes in college. It was in a tree and it was all white. I don't know what kind it was, though.
I have recently fallen in love with barn owls because of Molly and McGee, the pair in San Marcos, California. They had a webcam in the box and everyone who watched it got to see the babies hatch and grow to adulthood. It was pretty cool.
I forgot about that pair! I remember CR shared the link with us and I watched a few of the chicks hatch. So they're all grown up now, eh?
It's really cool that you're going to do that shinybetta. Don't know much about raptors myself, but they are really beautiful birds. :D