Trained Kestrels for Film and Television
Reuben our young male Kestrel, takes over from Ashley, who for seventeen years, filmed numerous sequences.
He is happy working out on location or in the studio, and being so friendly, is a very versatile filming bird.
What a kestrel can do on camera
The hover is the kestrel’s signature and the reason most productions ask for one. Held into the wind, head locked still while the body works underneath it, it is one of the few pieces of bird behaviour an audience recognises instantly.
Reuben is happy working out on location or in the studio, and being so friendly, is a very versatile filming bird. He takes over from Ashley, who for seventeen years filmed numerous sequences for us.
What to think about
Kestrels are small, which cuts both ways. They fit into interiors and tight sets where a larger raptor will not, but they need the frame and the lens to be built around them rather than the other way round. Tell us the shot size early.
Common questions
Can we film on our own location?
Often, but not always. Some locations will not give you the shot whatever bird you put in them — the sightlines, the light, the wind or the space are simply wrong. Send us the location, ideally with photographs, before you lock it. It costs nothing and it has saved productions a great deal.
How much notice do you need?
It depends entirely on the sequence. A perched shot, or a straightforward flight to the hand, needs far less lead time than a choreographed sequence built around a specific action. Complex work is measured in months rather than weeks. Ask us early and we will give you a straight answer.
Will the bird work close to actors and presenters?
This is a large part of what we do, and it is the reason the birds are raised and flown by us rather than sourced in. Tell us what the contact needs to be — a hand, a shoulder, a glove, a look — and we will tell you what is realistic with a kestrel and how long it would take to prepare.
Do you travel?
Yes. Our birds have filmed across the UK and abroad, from the Scottish moors to Arco in Italy.
Is the flying real, or is it done in post?
Real. The birds fly in real time, at full speed, to camera. Nothing is slowed down, and nothing is composited.
Planning a shoot
Every job starts the same way. Tell us what you are trying to film and we will tell you honestly whether it is possible, and how — including when the answer is no.
Our birds are raised and flown by Lloyd and Rose themselves, which is what makes calm, close work with actors and presenters possible. They fly in real time rather than being slowed down afterwards. The birds’ welfare comes first on every job.
Some sequences can be set up quickly. Others cannot — the goshawk work for H is for Hawk took fifteen months of daily preparation before a camera turned. The earlier you bring us in, the more you will get.
Working with us
Tell us what you are trying to film and we will tell you honestly whether it is possible, and how.