A much-loved owl with a “big personality” who has been a hoot at Warwick Castle for three decades is winging his way into retirement.

Ernie has been wowing audiences with his aerial antics around the turrets of the historical West Midlands attraction on average twice a day for 30 years.

During his long service, the African Verreaux’s Eagle Owl with a wingspan of 165cm is estimated to have made around 20,000 flights.

He most recently starred in The Falconer’s Quest, the UK’s largest bird of prey show.

He will be performing his final flypast during the Easter holidays before gliding off into a quieter life in the Yorkshire Dales with Hawk Experience, which organises the bird of prey displays at Warwick Castle.

Read more on Sky News:
Black bears ride on swan pedalos
Alligator twice the size of a man seized from home

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Castle general manager Liam Bartlett said: “Ernie is a much-loved member of staff at Warwick Castle.

“He has a big personality, is often stubborn and likes to freestyle his shows, but that’s why we love him.

“We’re excited for him to spend his twilight years in the stunning Yorkshire Dales with other feathered friends.”

The Verreaux’s Eagle Owl is the largest owl species in Africa and the only type to have pink eyelids.

Related posts:

More than 7.6 million people in UK have now had both doses of COVID vaccine UK reports another 17 coronavirus deaths and 2,193 cases Picture of Anne Frank shown in official Everton tribute to football fans who died during pandemic Britain’s rarest mammal could be reintroduced into the wild in England ‘Derby County gave me a reason to live’: Fans speak out to save beloved football club Man uses his car to stop out-of-control vehicle with ill driver on busy motorway Inquest opens into UK death of teenage football captain rescued from Thai cave Junior doctors in Scotland offered pay rise amid walkout threat Couple sentenced after £150k stolen from celebrity chef’s restaurant Homeless man admits stealing dummies from five children and using them in his tent ‘Plainly wrong’: Miscarriages of justice body to review case of man wrongly convicted of rape Body of missing ex-British soldier found in Ukraine