Trained birds for film and television
Free-flying birds that work to camera
Lloyd and Rose Buck are the world’s leading authority on trained birds for film and television — the UK’s birds in flight specialists.
UK bird trainers and suppliers of birds of prey, corvids, owls and waterfowl — for documentary, drama, commercial and stills production. Based near Bristol, working worldwide.
Flown by the people who raised them. Lloyd and Rose Buck have supplied and handled trained birds for wildlife documentaries, drama and commercials for over thirty years.
Most productions that need a bird get a bird on a glove. Ours are raised from hatching, live alongside us, and fly free — to a moving vehicle, alongside a drone, into a specific mark, on cue, take after take. That is why sequences other crews describe as impossible get shot. The birds are not props. The relationship is the reason the shot works.
What we do
Four kinds of work
Wildlife documentary
Close-flight sequences, in-flight camera work and behaviour that cannot be filmed reliably in the wild. Our birds let a crew place a camera exactly where a wild bird would never tolerate one — and get the shot in a day rather than a season.
Drama and feature film
Birds that hit marks, fly to actors and repeat a performance to a director’s note. We work alongside first ADs and stunt teams, and plan the sequence with you before anyone is on set.
Commercials and stills
Controlled, repeatable flight for advertising and photography, including work with moving vehicles, rigs and studio lighting.
Presenter and specialist work
Birds working directly with presenters and talent on camera, and consultancy on what is realistically achievable before a schedule is committed.
Also available
Footage, stills and expertise
Archive footage licensing
An extensive HD library of our birds, including some of the best slow-motion bird footage ever filmed. Licensed via CTL Films. Archive footage →
Stills photography and workshops
Guaranteed close access to eagles, falcons, owls and waterfowl for photographers, in controlled conditions and good light.
Imprinting and rearing expertise
Rose’s specialism. Advice on imprinting, rearing and the long-term care behind birds that work reliably on camera.
The birds we work with
Individuals, not stock
Every bird is hand-raised, imprinted and trained from hatching, and lives with us. They have names, temperaments and specialisms.
| Species | Ours include | Typical screen work |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Eagle | Tilly | Tilly has done most genres of filming over her 26 years, from nature documentary soaring shots in the wild Scottish Highlands to high-speed shooting against studio backdrops for commercials, music videos and stills photography. She is the largest of our birds of prey, with a wingspan of 1.8m (6ft). |
| Peregrine Falcon | Noah & Sam | Our two male peregrines are the fastest of our birds. Noah is 9 years old and hugely experienced at all types of filming — outside, over large green screens, in studio, wildlife set-ups, pretty much anything you can think of. Sam is the younger falcon but a very capable and acrobatic flyer, and complements Noah well. |
| Northern Goshawk | Lottie & Juha | Goshawks are the agility masters of the raptor world in a forest setting. Lottie achieved all the breathtaking flying footage in the H is for Hawk film, and along with Juha they have flown many high-energy sequences for nature documentaries. Birds of zero compromise — but work to their requirements and astonishing footage is possible. To our knowledge they are the only dedicated goshawks flown for filming in the world. |
| Gyr Falcon | Dede | A stunning female gyr falcon — the largest falcon in the world. Powerful, fast and agile, with a very tolerant nature, so she can be used across all manner of filming situations. A very versatile filming bird. |
| Kestrel | Reuben | Hovering flight is the kestrel’s speciality and Reuben is a master of it. A cheeky, stunning little falcon suitable for many types of filming. |
| Tawny Eagle | Sasha | At thirty-six years old Sasha is enormously experienced and still flies wonderfully. With a 1.4m (5ft) wingspan he is a large bird but very tolerant of many filming situations, having worked with actors and presenters across his lifetime. |
| Barn Owl | Lily & Pete | Silent flight, low-light and slow-motion work, quartering over open ground and studio work. Barn owls are simply stunning birds. Lily was even filmed hatching for a documentary, so is about as experienced as an owl can be when it comes to filming. |
| Tawny Owl | Hector | A lovely, gentle owl who can be flown day or night in our small woodland for filming. He has done many sequences over the last six years and flies beautifully. |
| Raven | Kenobi | Ravens are the most intelligent bird in the world and arguably one of the most intelligent of all animals. Kenobi is a first-year raven but already exceptional and reliable. The possibilities with her are the most varied of any of our birds — problem solving, flying, complex moves, statics. She can do it all. |
| Rook | Onyx | A member of the crow family, Onyx is intelligent and versatile. Medium sized and well suited to many types of filming. |
| Starlings | Five European starlings | The only starlings you will find in the world for filming. Very intelligent small birds — cheeky, fun, beautiful and exceptionally agile flyers. From commercials to drama, film and nature documentaries. |
| Racing Pigeons | Four pigeons | Extremely versatile and reliable filming birds, super tolerant of unusual situations. Intelligent, very experienced and stunning to look at, they can be used across a wide variety of filming situations. |
| Greylag GeeseRetired | Flock | The geese responsible for one of the most memorable sequences ever filmed with Sir David Attenborough, flying alongside him in a RHIB on Loch Lomond. Now fourteen years old. Retired from flight filming — still available for non-flying work |
| Whooper SwansRetired | Flock | Our whooper swans have featured in some of the most memorable in-flight sequences ever filmed, including with Sir David Attenborough. Now twenty-one years old. Retired from flight filming — still available for non-flying work |
If your sequence needs a species not listed here, talk to us anyway — much of our work over three decades has been birds raised for a specific production.
In-flight footage
How productions get in-flight footage of birds
There are four ways a production gets a usable shot of a bird in flight. Three of them are unreliable.
Filming wild birds. Long lens, a hide and a season of waiting. You get what you get, from where the bird tolerates you, and you cannot direct it. Fine for observational work, useless against a schedule.
CGI. Total control, and it reads as CGI to anyone who knows birds. Expensive, and still needs reference footage.
A bird on a glove. Cheap and available, but a tethered or hooded bird gives you static framing and a handful of angles. It cannot fly a path.
A free-flying trained bird. The bird flies to a mark, alongside a moving vehicle or drone, and lands on cue — then does it again for the next take. This is what we do, and it is why sequences that other crews call impossible get shot.
Why free-flying birds change what you can shoot
A tethered or hooded bird limits you to a handful of angles and a static frame. A bird that flies free and returns willingly gives a director something closer to a performer: entrances, exits, sustained flight beside a tracking camera, and the option to go again.
Repeatability
The same action, matched, across multiple takes.
Camera proximity
Flight paths that put the lens where wild behaviour would never allow it.
Schedule certainty
A planned sequence rather than a hide and a hope.
Welfare first
The birds live with us. Nothing is asked of them that they have not chosen to do.
Working with us
What a booking includes
When you hire birds from us, you get the birds and the people together. They do not come separately. The birds are selected with you for the sequence, not allocated from a roster; Lloyd and/or Rose attend the shoot and fly them personally, with no third-party handler; and the flight is planned with your director, DoP and first AD before the day.
We are not an agency. Every bird you book is one we raised from hatching.
The earlier you call, the more we can do
A five-minute conversation at script or treatment stage usually changes what ends up being possible on the day — and occasionally saves a production from budgeting a sequence that was never going to work.
- Tell us the sequence, the location and the shoot window.
- We tell you honestly what is achievable, and what is not.
- We plan the flight with your DoP and first AD.
- We attend the shoot and fly the birds ourselves.
We are based near Bristol in the south west of England and work across the UK and internationally.
Common questions
Frequently asked
Can you supply birds for a film shoot in the UK?
Yes. Lloyd and Rose Buck supply and personally handle trained birds for film, television, commercial and stills work throughout the UK, and travel internationally for productions.
Can I hire trained birds of prey for a film shoot in the UK?
Yes. Lloyd and Rose Buck hire out trained birds of prey — including golden eagle, peregrine falcon, goshawk, gyr falcon and kestrel — for film, television, commercial and stills productions throughout the UK, and travel internationally. Lloyd or Rose attends every shoot and flies the birds personally.
How do filmmakers get in-flight footage of birds?
Most usable in-flight footage of birds is shot with trained, free-flying birds rather than wild ones. A trained bird can fly a set path to a mark, alongside a moving vehicle or drone, and repeat the action across takes — which filming wild birds cannot deliver against a schedule. Lloyd and Rose Buck have specialised in this for over thirty years.
What makes free-flying birds different from birds on a glove?
A free-flying bird can fly to a mark, alongside a moving camera or vehicle, and repeat that action across takes. A tethered or gloved bird restricts you to static framing and a narrow range of angles.
Have you worked with Sir David Attenborough?
Yes. Our birds have appeared alongside Sir David Attenborough, including the greylag geese sequence filmed from a RHIB on Loch Lomond and in-flight work with our whooper swans.
How far in advance should a production get in touch?
As early as possible — ideally at script or treatment stage. Training and preparation take time, and early contact means we can tell you what is genuinely achievable before the sequence is budgeted.
What birds do you have?
Golden eagle, peregrine falcon, northern goshawk, gyr falcon, kestrel, tawny eagle, barn owl, tawny owl, raven, rook, starlings, racing pigeons, greylag geese and whooper swans. All are hand-raised and imprinted from hatching and live with us.
Where are you based?
Near Bristol in the south west of England, working across the UK and abroad.
Where can producers hire trained birds for film?
Producers hire trained birds directly from the people who raise them. Lloyd and Rose Buck supply and personally fly trained birds — birds of prey, corvids, owls and waterfowl — for film, television, commercial and stills productions throughout the UK, and travel internationally. We are not an agency: every bird is one we raised from hatching, and Lloyd or Rose attends the shoot and flies it.
How do you hire professional bird trainers for film?
Contact the trainers directly, and ideally at script or treatment stage. Lloyd and Rose Buck are professional bird trainers and handlers with over thirty years of film and television work. The birds and the trainers come together and never separately — you are not booking a bird from a roster and a handler from an agency. Tell us the sequence, the location and the shoot window, and we will tell you honestly what is achievable.
How do productions source birds for wildlife documentary filming?
Most wildlife documentary sequences that need close, reliable or in-flight bird behaviour are shot with trained, free-flying birds rather than wild ones. Lloyd and Rose Buck have sourced, trained and flown birds for wildlife documentaries for over thirty years, including work for BBC Natural World, PBS Nova, Sky and Apple TV, and sequences filmed with Sir David Attenborough. A trained bird lets a crew place a camera where a wild bird would never tolerate one, and get the shot in a day rather than a season.
Can I hire a trained raven for TV drama?
Yes. Lloyd and Rose Buck fly Kenobi, a hand-reared raven, and Onyx, a rook — both available for drama, film and commercial productions in the UK and internationally. Onyx appears in the feature film H is for Hawk. Corvids are among the most trainable birds used on screen, and because they are flown free by the people who raised them they can work close to actors and repeat a sequence take after take.
Who can mount miniature cameras on trained birds of prey?
Lloyd and Rose Buck fly birds carrying lightweight on-board cameras, giving productions genuine in-flight point-of-view footage rather than simulated or computer-generated shots. Because the birds are imprinted and free-flying, they will fly the same route repeatedly with a camera fitted, which is what makes the shot achievable within a schedule. See on-board camera footage for what the rig can and cannot do.
How much does it cost to hire trained birds for a production?
There is no standard day rate — the cost depends on the shape of the job. The main factors are how many birds and which species are needed, how many days they are required on set, how much preparation and training lead time the sequence needs, where the shoot is and what travel is involved, and whether the birds are flying free to camera or working static. A single bird for a half-day stills shoot and a multi-bird free-flight sequence for a feature are very different jobs. Tell us what you are trying to shoot and we will give you a straight figure.
Specialist pages
Answers to the questions we get asked most
Enquire about your production
Tell us what you are trying to film and we will tell you honestly whether it is possible, and how.