Job opportunities

Falconer

Coda Falconry Cemtre located at Hobbledown Heath in West London

We are seeking a full-time Falconer to look after various falconry birds and aviaries, to give entertaining and informative daily flying displays and to assist with the maintenance of the Falconry Centre

JOB DESCRIPTION: The falconer works directly with the other full-time falconers and the Centre Manager. The post holder will be based at Coda Falconry Ltd, Hobbledown Heath, Staines Road, Hounslow, London, TW14 0HH. Coda Falconry Ltd houses over 20 birds of prey  within the zoo at Hobbledown Heath. There are 20 aviaries to maintain on a daily basis. We have a large display area with seating and viewing for hundreds of spectators. You will be expected to attend off site shows and pest control contracts when required.

 

There is no requirement for the applicant to have their own birds but a full, valid driving license is essential.

 

Your duties will include;

 

●       Feeding and weighing the birds to ensure they have the correct amount of feed and exercise.

●       Cleaning out the aviaries and keeping the Coda Falconry centre clean and presentable.

●       Carrying out various procedures on the birds, such as imping, coping, casting, etc.

●       First aid on birds.

●       Running a variety of different experience days when they are scheduled

●       Working with the bird tracking equipment (telemetry).

●       Training new or young birds for flying displays.

●       Giving twice daily flying displays with three or four birds for 30 minutes (weather permitting).

●       Commentary during displays on a PA / Mic system

●       Maintaining the health and appearance of the birds.

●       Keeping accurate records of birds and inputting the data onto our ZIMS system

●       Preparing the centre for Zoo and Vet inspections.

●       Taking part in all aspects of the running of the falconry centre.

●       Leatherwork tasks such as making jesses and anklets.

●       Answering queries from the General public about the centre and the birds.

●       Attending off site displays and pest control contracts when required.

●       Any other duties which may arise.

 

HOURS: This is a full-time post, five days a week, from 9am to 5pm. Wages can be discussed at the interview stage. Due to the nature of the tourism industry it is important that the staff have a flexible approach to their work. There are a total of 28 days holiday per year. Holiday is first come first served and must be arranged and authorised with the management team before any dates can be reserved.

 

Coda Falconry Ltd is open 7 days a week so being able to work on a weekend is a necessary requirement of the job. Days off will change each week due to the work commitments scheduled and the amount of staff required to fulfill the contracts but if a particular day is essential for you to take off, we will try to make sure that we allocate that day for you as a day off.

 

There is a half an hour paid lunch break and there is the opportunity to purchase food for lunch with a 50% discount at Hobbledown Heath.

 

SKILLS REQUIRED:

●        To have a genuine interest in falconry and birds of prey.

●        Able to communicate information effectively to members of the public, who may have different levels of abilities, i.e. disabled children and adults and people with learning difficulties.

●        To be physically fit and capable of safely carrying out manual work.

●        The ability to work as part of a small team or unsupervised.

●        Self-motivated to organise workload and achieve deadlines.

●        Confidence to talk to a large group of people or individuals.

●        Cheerful, friendly deposition..

●        Literate and able to write copy for posters, keep records, etc.

●        Numerate and able to carry out simple maths calculations to work out weight loss.

●        To have a full driving licence.

●        Computer literate.

 

 

You do not have to have prior knowledge of working with birds of prey but some experience working within a falconry centre and / or caring for birds of prey would be helpful for this role.