Professional Training Workshops

Contemporary Bird of Prey Training and Management

"I liked the 'leveling of the field' so that all participants gained equal knowledge. I also liked that we had the opportunity to decide what behaviors we wanted to train."
Workshop Attendee
"Our team lead let us guide the session while still allowing us to explore ideas and make our own mistakes so we could learn from them. She empowered me to be a bolder trainer and not be so worried about making mistakes where it was slowing my progress."
Workshop Attendee
"The program and everyone else that attended had the 'family and friend' atmosphere. We all helped each other share pictures and information. It was absolutely a wonderful environment."
Workshop Attendee
"I loved the actual one on one training with a bird of prey..."
Workshop Attendee
"The value of material, techniques, approaches, learning hands on, and experiences will be forever cherished. Everyone was so friendly, accommodating, and helpful..."
Workshop Attendee
"I loved the small group structure. We had a ton of freedom to set goals and work through interesting problems."
Workshop Attendee
"A great balance of lecture and practical learning. The leaders making themselves available to discuss and answer questions was especially good.
Workshop Attendee

A comprehensive 5-day workshop designed for those who work in a professional capacity with birds of prey and seek to increase their training and management knowledge. This workshop is designed for those with a minimum of 3 years of experience working with raptors.

Our Mission

To provide attendees with the information, support, and skills they need to provide their birds of prey with the highest welfare possible.

Workshop Includes:

Lectures

“Operant Learning for the Bird of Prey,” “Diet and Food Management,” “Health, Coping, and Equipment,” “Telemetry and Free Flight,” “Housing: Tethering and Free-lofting”, “The Right Bird for the Job/Thoughts on Ambassador Owls,” “Connecting with our Audience”

Practice

Guided hands-on training with a variety of different species of raptors and experienced training mentors

Training and Demonstrations

Voluntary crating, weighing, glovework. Coping and health checks. Creance and free flight. Telemetry in action

Equipment Making

 Leather, Biothane and Paracord

Mastery

Limited class size for personal attention in a comprehensive learning environment

*All workshop materials, including gloves, note guides and other resource information, and breakfast and lunch are provided.

NEI Training Facility in Florida

Attending a workshop at the NEI training facility is the best way to learn the art and science of animal training. This 34-acre facility is home to over 80 species of animals. Staff accommodate the daily care of the animals so that the attendees can concentrate on learning the technology and skills required to perform at the professional level. Each attendee receives personalized attention from our staff of experts, as well as note guides and files that they can take home to share with their co-workers.

When

January 10 – January 15, 2026

Where

Natural Encounters, Inc. Training Facility in Winter Haven, FL

Participants

Limited to 12 attendees

Icebreaker Dinner

January 10, 2026

Farewell Dinner

January 15, 2026

Tuition

$2,000 ($500 Deposit, $1,500 final payment)

Hotel, Transportation, and Meals

We partner with a nearby hotel to provide a group rate.
Transportation between the airport and the hotel will be provided unless you choose to make other arrangements.
Breakfast options and lunch will be provided each day of the workshop. Dinner will be provided only for the icebreaker and banquet events.
All the details will be provided in a confirmation letter.

Online Application & Information

This workshop is currently full and all applications will be added to a waitlist for consideration in the event of cancellations.

Waitlist Registration

Please note that NEI reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a workshop if the number registrations do not meet a specific threshold.