Rieke Wiecker
Falconer, event presenter, speaker
I am Rieke Wiecker, falconer and founder of “Skyfall Falconry”. I want to make birds of prey “visible” because people appreciate and protect what they understand. I have worked full-time as a radio and event presenter for many years. I feel like a bird of prey ambassador, so to speak. In my opinion, there is nothing more fascinating than birds of prey! You can philosophise with me for hours about bird topics – understanding them completely and sharing this knowledge with you really matters to me.
I enjoyed my basic falconry training in England; after a wide range of further training in a large German falconry, I have been my own boss since summer 2023. I love the direct contact with those of you who want to learn something about birds of prey from us – and something about yourselves from our birds of prey.
Lanner Falcon “Hope” (Falco biarmicus)
“Hope” came to us in April 2023 at eight days old and is our speedy racer. Lanner falcons are primarily native to southern Europe and Africa and feed primarily on songbirds. “Hope” is friendly, still a bit green behind the ears and shows the most amazing swoops in the wind!
Peregrine Falcon “ARA” (Falco peregrinus)
Anyone who likes speed will love “Ara”! Peregrine falcons hold the speed record in the bird world – with swoops of up to almost 400km/h! Even a “slow” peregrine falcon with its aerodynamically shaped body is still an absolute fascination in the air.
“Ara” is a trained crow-biter (meaning she is trained to catch crows), has the energy of a border collie and sounds like a moped that won’t start when she greets us.
Jackal Buzzard “NIKITO” (Buteo rufofuscus)
Jackal Buzzards are the most common birds of prey in East and South Africa and are a real feast for the eyes! We could also call “Nikito” simply “Mr. “Good Looking”. He is straightforward, a sun worshiper and would trade his left wing for a fresh mouse if he had to. Luckily for us he doesn’t have to.
Harris’s Hawk “PHOENIX” (Parabuteo unicinctus)
The big little one in our team. “Phoenix” hatched in May 2023 and, as a young bird, does what she would do in the wild: she orients herself towards the others in the team. Harris’s hawks often live in a family group in which the experienced animals teach the inexperienced ones when it comes to hunting and social skills. “Phoenix” is curious, doesn’t shy away from crowds and feels uncomfortable when she’s alone.
Eurasian eagle-owl „Esmeralda“ (Bubo bubo)
“Esme”, as we affectionately call her, usually impresses everyone because of her height. Rightly so! Anyone who meets this animal quickly notices: “Esme” is fundamentally relaxed. And anyway, “Esme” is rather quiet: despite her enormous size (and wingspan of 1.70m), she flies silently, she rarely has anything to say and when she does, it’s more of a quiet “huuuu”.
Red-footed Falcon “Hannes” (Falco vespertinus)
We are fans of not trivializing birds of prey – with “Hannes” we clearly reach our limits with this intention! “Hannes” weighs just 150g, making him the smallest bird in our team. He hatched in 2023 and is currently still wearing his juvenile plumage; Red-footed hawks’ appearance changes again depending on their gender when they reach adulthood at the age of two.
Black-chested buzzard-eagle “CARA” (Geranoaetus melanoleucus)
Also called „Aguja“ and „Chilean blue eagle“.
“Cara’s” imposing appearance is 100% reflected in her character. At eight years old, she is an experienced, chilled-out diva and knows what she wants – and what she doesn’t want. Black-chested buzzard-eagles are the largest buzzards in the world and are also known as “Aguja” or „Chilean blue eagles“. With a wingspan of up to 1.80 metres, they provide enough shade for a large family when flying.
WELSH CORGI CARDIGAN “CLOONEY”
Yes, “Clooney” like “George Clooney” is also a womanizer. Chief of the ground crew, big brother and bodyguard to all the birds of prey – is always there and makes sure everything goes (or flies) according to plan. Breathes in whatever food the birds drop. Has a good disposition, only calms down when he has greeted everyone and is simply the best dog in the world.