© 2011 Wild Owl                     Web site design & photography © Ian McGuire

Educating on the conservation of British owls

About Wild Owl


Q: What is Wild Owl?

A: Wild Owl is the trading name of Ian McGuire. It is the name that I gave to myself when I started up as a freelance speaker and owl conservationist.


Q: Are you a charity?

A: No - I am a small business that charges for most of my services. I am however committed to public education of bird of prey conservation, so produce leaflets and this web site as a tool for awareness, all at my own personal cost.


Q: Do you represent a charity or other organisation?

A: No - I am self-employed and receive no funding from any other body or represent anyone else apart from myself. I was once a volunteer for the Hawk and Owl Trust, and was Chair of a local group which I founded but since I became freelance in 2006, have no association with the Trust and am no longer a member. All my work is carried out independently as ‘Wild Owl Educational Services’.


Q: Where are you based?

A: I am based in Yate, which is in North Bristol, United Kingdom. Bristol is located in South West England near the Severn Bridge crossing to Wales.


Q: Are you a bird of prey centre?

A: No, I work from my home in Yate - I have my own owls but they live in my garden and are only used as educational birds.


Q: Can I visit you to see your owls?

A: No, I am sorry but I am unable to cater for this.


Q: Do you have Public Liability Insurance?

A: Yes, I am fully insured


Q: Are you CRB Checked

A: Yes, I am CRB checked


Q: Can you give talks to groups with Special Needs?

A: Yes - I am an experienced Support Worker for young adults with Learning Difficulties and also have some experience with the blind, deaf and disabled. My delivery style has proved very popular with these groups, and I make every effort to accommodate their needs.


Talks and Coverage Area


Q: Do you give talks, school visits, home visits, attend fetes, lead owl prowls etc

A: Yes -please see my Talks and Services pages.


Q. How far will you travel to give talks?

A. I am based in Bristol, and will travel up to 90 minutes each way to visit clubs and schools in other counties.


Q: What counties do you cover?

A: Please visit the ‘Geographical Range for Visits’ page.


Q: Are there any places you will not visit to give a talk?

A. I am happy to travel to most locations on my range map, but may choose not to accept jobs in certain areas as I have to carry valuable computer equipment in my car.


Venues that I exclude, for security and logistical reasons  include: Central London, South London, East London, Central Birmingham, Central Bristol, locations requiring parking in multi-story public car parks or some venues with no local parking.


Q: Do you bring owls along to your talks?

A: I don’t think it is fair to ferry my tame owls along in a box to every talk, and also prefer to convey my educational message using photographs. However, I accept that many groups like to see a live owl, and so I can be booked to bring one owl along with me at extra charge to adult groups (free to all children’s groups & school bookings)


Q: Where did you get your owls from and are they wild?

A: My barn owl, Misty is captive bred, and Jaz the tawny owl is a wild rescue. I have had them both from chicks and have hand-reared them. They both carry DEFRA certification, and Jaz, being an ex-wild owl, has a special license to be brought out into the public domain..


Q: Do you let people touch your owls?

A: In most circumstances, NO -  this does nothing for conservation,  compromises the owl and in my view is bad practice. I normally have loose feathers available that can be held and stroked if the temptation is so strong!


The only exceptions to this rule is when I work with blind or partially sighted individuals.


Helping Owls


Q: How can I help Owls?

A: There are many pages on this web site that can help - please go to the Owl Information pages to start.


Q: Can you tell me how to make a nest box?

A: I do not have drawings on this site, so suggest you visit the Barn Owl Trust web site for drawings at  www.barnowltrust.org


Q: Do you sell owl boxes?

A: Yes - I offer boxes for tawny, barn and little owls, however these boxes are too large to send by carrier and so are only available for collection from my home in Bristol.


Q: Will you visit me to give advice?

A: Due to my workload and lack of funding, I am very limited where I can travel to give advice. However, I am happy to visit locations that are local to me or look at Google Earth to give advice on possible sites for nest boxes in other parts of the country.


Q: Do you help injured owls?

A: I have limited experiences with owl first aid, but will do my very best to help an owl in trouble - please visit the ‘Owl Emergencies’ page for contact information of experienced national organisations that have the experience to deal with casualties.


Q: Do you have a first aid facility/hospital?

A: No - I have very little experience in dealing with injured wild owls and therefore if I am involved in a local rescue, all casualties are immediately taken to my local vet for treatment and then transferred to a bird of prey rehabilitation centre if they survive.


Q: Do you supply owl pellets to schools etc for dissection?

A: No - I do not have a regular supply and only usually have a small stock for my own use.


Please e-mail me if you have any  questions not listed here.