Laurel Fork Falconry LLC

The Falconry / Bird of Prey presentations are tailor made for the intended audience. Whether you want to learn what the art of falconry is, the ecology of raptors and why they are so important to the environment, or can an owl really turn it’s head all the way around, we have the material and live birds to keep any age audience fully engaged in the learning process and separate fact from fiction. Find out what it takes to become a falconer in the state of West Virginia and the proper care of these amazing birds, while learning the fascinating story of how Collin became a falconer at age 14.    Book a presentation by calling 304-402-7095 or email laurelforkfalconry@yahoo.com

One of the youngest,  licensed Master Class Falconers in the state of West Virginia, Collin has been practicing falconry since he was 14 years old. He started this adventure by trapping his first falconry bird, a Red-Tailed Hawk named Ace, from the wild. Collin has also trained an American Kestrel for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, PA, and is one of the youngest people in the US, at the age of 18, to work with a Bald Eagle. The Bald Eagle, Mr. Spectacular, is a non-releasable bird and is now an educational ambassador. Collin is a homeschool graduate and that in itself allowed him to follow his passion as a falconer and educator hoping to impact his home state of West Virginia by providing educational presentations that help people understand the nature of birds of prey and help people realize that they are a very important part of the environment in which we live. Right after graduation, he spent 10 months working at the Ararat Ridge Zoo located at the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY. Armed with over 9 years of experience being a falconer, working with a Raptor Rehab Center, and the Ararat Ridge Zoo, Collin has worked with a number of different birds including some that a raptor would consider "lunch". Collin was the Executive Director of a raptor rehab center in West Virginia for over a year and traveled more than 10,000 miles doing Raptor Educational programs. In the summer of 2022, Collin presented a falconry program for the Embassy of the Czech Republic and the European Union in Washington DC.  People are often amazed at Collin's God-given talent of working seemingly effortlessly with birds. Of course, if you ask him, he will assure you that there is more to training birds than what meets the eye.