Wings in the wild

"This owl is also known as the Rock Eagle Owl because, in its native habitat, it perches on rocks looking for snakes, reptiles and large insects," he explains.

Keith is now well into his running commentary as he encourages the bird to fly from perch to perch in the arena at the centre.

"This owl hunts on its senses, so 40 per cent of the skull is eyes, 40 per cent is ears, although those are tufts you can see, the ears are below the surface.

"The two senses are beautifully co-ordinated to lead it to its quarry, and the owl flies close to the ground to keep its shadow below and not ahead, to avoid warning of its approach.

"The flight is silent thanks to soft feathers in the leading edge of the wings. The mass of soft, hollow feathers on the belly and legs protect it against bites or attacks from snakes and lizards."

Keith moves among the audience and the owl happily flies between and around people, rewarded at regular intervals by a tasty morsel on Keith's glove. Strangely, although its eyesight is eight times better than a human's, the bird has difficulty in seeing the titbit at close range.

"If it were 100 yards away, it would see it in a flash," Keith said.

His demonstration is the third in the flying session. In marked contrast to the owl, the session opened with a bald eagle.This young, feisty and nervous bird was introduced delicately by its handler Cristina, with the audience asked to move back as she initially approached.

She explained that the eagle has been flying for only a matter of weeks and, like all the flying birds, is exercised every day. This is not only about flying training but also to teach the strong-willed bird - in the nicest possible way - who is boss. Because the eagle is in training, it is flown on a long nylon line called the creanse.

Using titbits as a reward, Cristina and fellow handler Craig encourage it to flap and glide between two sets of A-frames, the huge wings moving slowly and rhythmically.

The young eagle has black head feathers, but these will gradually turn to white as this national symbol of America matures.

Now calm and settled, the eagle is carried from the flying ground. Its successor is in marked contrast, weighing in at a miniscule six ounces. The tiny kestrel swoops and dives, hovering above Craig's lure before diving vertically for the kill.

"This is a young bird in training," said Craig. "It will learn that diving like that can bruise it. Instead of hovering directly above its quarry, it will stay a little distance behind and approach at an angle for a softer landing."

All the flying birds have been bred in captivity, not taken from the wild, easing the task of getting them used to humans. The centre has its own breeding programme, with the breeding stock kept in pens that are almost all roofed over to protect them from our extremes of weather and where birds and their young can be undisturbed.

The National Birds of Prey Centre started life in 1967 as The Falconry Centre, founded by Philip Glasier and his family; falconry had been part of the family's life for three generations. When he retired in 1983, his daughter, Jemima Parry-Jones, took over, winning an MBE in 1999 for services to Bird Conservation and an award in 2000 from the Federation of Zoos for sustained captive breeding of birds.

Keith Beaven and his wife, Jackie, have spent many years with animals, albeit rather larger ones, running Trent Park Equestrian Centre near Enfield, London's largest facility.

In 2004, the couple retired, "for about a week" confesses Keith, before buying the Newent Centre from Jemima, who was emigrating to start a new centre in America.

Keith and Jackie have taken a completely fresh perspective. Old aviaries have been demolished and new erected. Many were rather small, especially for large eagles and condors with big wingspans, so walls were removed to create bigger spaces.

Hundreds of tons of new sand replaced the old in the pens, some of the roofs have had mesh panels inserted to allow the birds to sunbathe or sit in the rain.

"The bigger birds really like the rain," Keith said, "although we've put a hold on the fresh-air' programme with the Avian flu problems."

Many of the birds are new, to introduce fresh genetic lines. With few exceptions, these have been donated by zoos.

"There is a website for the world's zoos to advertise surplus stock' explained Keith. "Everyone donates their birds, knowing that they can garner stock the same way at no cost. There is no suggestion of demanding stock in exchange for yours."

Staff too are mostly new. Finding staff who are skilled bird-handlers is far from easy and larger birds require a great deal of experience and technique. Plus the handlers must be able to demonstrate the birds to the public and offer an interesting and informative running commentary.

The centre now houses some 170 birds, from a very affectionate and sparky raven to a variety of rather sinister vultures that stare at you under hooded lids. Many birds are sponsored, helping to defray the significant costs involved in conservation.

Some 30 per cent of income is derived from courses and teaching covers falconry and owls. There is even a course for Police Wildlife Liaison Officers. Birds are often provided for films and TV. The centre is always pleased to offer advice and takes in 50 to 100 injured birds every year for treatment.

Where else can you get up close and personal with a Steppe Eagle or South American condor without visiting far-flung parts of the globe?

Call 0870 9901992 for information.The centre is open every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day from 10.30am to 5.30pm.