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Research projects at The Hawk Conservancy Trust

In addition to our field projects in England and overseas, the zoological collection at the Trust is an immensely valuable resource for learning about birds of prey.

Sound investigations on our birds help us improve our husbandry methods and overall management. Research on captive raptors (particularly on topics such as breeding behaviour) can assist researchers working on wild populations – particularly for species that are hard to observe.

Research in zoos follows the same methods as research elsewhere, so our projects are also a valuable education opportunity for trainee and student researchers.

This page provides links to several of our projects. Some projects aim to provide information that will improve animal husbandry and management techniques. Others aim to investigate certain aspects of behaviour, breeding or ecology.

Any non-observational research project is subject to strict review by our ethics committee. These reviews critically examine the benefits of any project that involves direct interaction with animals and compares these with any potential negative impacts.

The Trust is always happy to hear from interested researchers with suggestions for projects. Please contact the Chief Scientific Officer, Campbell Murn campbell@hawkconservancy.org if you wish to conduct a research project at The Hawk Conservancy Trust.

Follow these links to learn about some current projects:

Behavioural enrichment of captive raptors
Dietary assessment of raptors
Response of captive owls to playback calls: Enrichment or just annoying?
Effects of human presence or absence on rehabilitating raptors
The HCT Biodiversity Survey Scheme

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