Our family arrived from Australia to share in the 1st anniversary celebration of Lucia and Sebastian wedding in Fiji last year; with Lucia’s family and friends in Germany. We are in Steinhagen for another day of amazing sightseeing. Yesterday we went to Heimat Tierpark and Bielefeld Farmhouse Museum. Today Sebastian is taking us to Adlerwarte Berlebeck, a wild bird park in Detmold, Berlebeck, a drive of approx. 40 mins from Steinhagen.
So after yet another delicious breakfast of rolls, liverwurst, cheeses, cold meat, eggs and an assortment of Gerlinde’s awesome home made jams, we set off for the wild bird sanctuary. Sebastian has been before and was very impressed with the show that the falconer presented and he thought it would be something that we would also like to see.
We have made good time getting here and there’s time for cigarettes and a bit of break dancing while Sebb parks the van.
We arrive in time for the 11am session and after paying the entrance fee we take our seats and wait for the performance to begin. There is a good sized crowd and all of the 160 seats are taken, people are also standing around the perimeter of the stage. There are lots of children in attendance, I have a feeling it may be school holidays.
The stage is set on a ridge which allows the large birds to take off and soar across the valley below. The view from the ridge over to the Teutoburg Forest is just spectacular.
Adlerwarte Berlebeck – The view from the platform 
The park has 46 different varieties of birds of prey and is home to over 200 specimens. In 1975 they also set up a rescue centre to care for sick and injured birds of prey and owls. Not only does Adlerwarte Berlebeck cater to their native birds of prey they have been involved in the setting up of catch and release stations in Ecuador and Kenya.
The show is scheduled to go for around 40 minutes. The Falconer is entertaining while imparting his knowledge of the birds in his care. For our safety we are asked not to eat or drink during the show.
There are three groups of birds of prey:
- Diurnal: these are birds that are active during the daytime – eagles, buzzards, kites and falcons.
- Vultures: these birds are scavengers that only eat carrion. The Andean condor is the largest flying bird on earth when you combine it’s wingspan and weight measurements. It has a wingspan of 3.3 metres (10ft 10″). So it’s pretty darned impressive.
- Nocturnal: these are birds of prey and owls that are active during the night.
Much to everyone’s delight, birds flew high into the sky, dipped and dived for tidbits thrown out by the falconer. The kids around us are enthralled and love it when the birds fly over and some even perch on the heads of the audience.
There are two hooded vultures at the park called Wally and Gonzo. Hooded vultures don’t have feathers on their head, this helps them to stay clean when they are eating cadavers. These birds don’t like solitude and move around in groups.
As much as I waited, this one just would not turn around so I could photograph his face. But you can clearly see that he/she has no head feathers.
It really was an awesome show and one I would definitely recommend that you see. After the flight show ended we went for a walk around the park to see the birds and enjoy the lovely garden spaces.
Birds you will see at Alderwarte Berlebeck:
Here are just a few of the birds you will see on your visit. Some of the birds are in large cages and some are out in the open air but are tethered to stop them flying off.
This is Diva – a bald eagle. Eagles can live until they are 30-35 years of age. However, at Alderwarte Berlebeck eagles can live until they are 60 years of age. Their diet consists mainly of 70% fish, although they do feed on chicks, young foxes and other small animals. When they are young, bald eagles have a brown head but as they become adults their head feathers become white.
Vultures resting in the sunshine.
The birds are healthy and impressive looking.
Adlerwarte Berlebeck – Ticket Prices and Show Times
The show is reasonably priced and well worth it. We received a program in English telling us about the birds that are on show, so do make sure that you pick up one of these programs as it will help you to identify the birds that you see.
| Opening Hours | |
|---|---|
| Daily from March 23 to Mid December | 10:00 to 17:30 |
| Open on all Holidays |
| Entrance Fees |
|---|
| 6.50 Euro adults |
| 3.50 Euro Children 5 - 14 years |
| 5.50 Euro adult groups from 20 persons |
| 3.00 Euro school classes per pupil (... up to 16 years) |
| 5 Euro student / social passport holder |
| 45 Euro annual family card |
| 25 euros annual ticket adults |
| 15 Euro year pass children |
| Free Flight Program | |
|---|---|
| High season (01/05. - 01/11.) | daily at 11am & 3pm |
| Saturdays, Sundays, on all holidays, as well as in the NRW holidays | 11am, 3pm & 4:30pm |
| Low Season ( until 30/04 | 11am & 3pm |
| From 2/11 - mid December | daily at 11am & 1pm |
Note: The show does not take place if there is heavy rain and wind. This is understandable and necessary to protect the birds. So do check what the weather is likely to be before heading off to see the show.
Taking animals to the park
Dogs are not allowed. There is a place provided in the shady entrance area where they can be leashed, and a water bowl is also available to ensure they are hydrated while they wait for their owners to return.
Adlerwarte Berlebeck is not only a place for tourists to visit for an entertaining day out, the staff take care of around 200 wounded birds of prey each year. As you can imagine, this takes quite a bit of money. Some of the funds come from the gate entrance fees but Adlerwarte Berlebeck also have a sponsorship program and for €10 a month you can help our with this worthwhile cause. For the cost of your sponsorship you will receive a certificate and have free entry for as long as your sponsorship is active. So please consider this worthwhile cause and help to keep these beautiful birds healthy and flying free.
And now it is time to go back to the van and head off to Externsteine a distinctive sandstone rock formation and medieval sacred site, which is also in the Teutoburg forest near the town of Horn-Bad Meinberg. I am really looking forward to yet another interesting and informative experience.
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