Young owl gets training for starring Warwick Castle role

Head falconer Ben Kniveton has been training Bernie, the milky eagle owl

A baby owl is being trained to become the latest addition to a bird of prey display team.

The youngster, named Bernie by staff at Warwick Castle, was born in August and has been hand-reared since he was a week and a half old.

The milky eagle owl would join the attraction's show from October, head falconer Ben Kniveton said.

However, Bernie's exposure to the other birds would be kept to a minimum to avoid him being eaten, he added.

"In terms of birds of prey he's not that big at all," Mr Kniveton explained.

"A lot of the other birds, right up to the big eagles, would love to snack on something that's Bernie-sized."

The owl is being trained to become part of the castle's bird of prey display team

Bernie was born in August