Bonni Soars into the Spotlight in Bird of Prey Encounter

Bonni is the newest star to join our Bird of Prey Encounters at the Capes Raptor Centre.

Soaring confidently alongside fellow ambassador birds, including Alby the Eastern Barn Owl and several of our Kites, you can now take a front seat in our flight arena and witness her natural behaviours up close. Learn how raptors move, hunt, and navigate the world, while discovering the challenges her species face in the wild. 

Sadly, Bonni represents a species now rarely seen in the Margaret River Region. Barking Owl records have declined sharply in recent decades, largely due to habitat fragmentation, loss of old-growth hollows, and secondary poisoning from rodenticides. 

“Bonni hatched here at the raptor centre and when the team noticed that she wasn’t thriving, our team stepped in to hand-raise her,” said Capes Raptor Centre Manager, Tara Finch.  

Training Coordinator Renee Schier says free-flight training is not just for presentations, it is an essential part of rehabilitation. 

“Some birds arrive with long-term injuries and may stay with us for six to twelve months,” Renee explained.  

“While their injuries heal, their fitness declines if they can’t fly long enough distances. Species like Peregrine Falcons for example, rely on speed, strength, and precision to hunt effectively. For release to be successful, they must regain full physical fitness.” 

To prepare birds of prey for both rehabilitation and presentations, Capes Raptor Centre uses a patient, trust-based positive-reinforcement approach. 

 “Raptors are motivated by their natural instincts: food, safety and the desire to explore. Unlike parrots, they’re not driven by social bonding.  We try to work with those natural instincts and let them behave as naturally as possible while building a voluntary relationship.”  

Raptors are highly food-driven and have short periods of focus, so trainers must work within a very small motivational window.   

“We carefully monitor each bird’s weight and diet to ensure they’re healthy while still willing to participate voluntarily.” Renee added.  

Our team at the centre currently care for around 60 resident birds that cannot be released, while also running a dedicated rehabilitation facility capable of supporting up to 80 injured, sick, or orphaned raptors each year—many of which are successfully returned to the wild. 

If you find an injured raptor in the Margaret River Region, you can call us on (08) 9757 7411, any day of the year.