Jonathan Meiburg, the American writer and lead singer of indie rock band Shearwater, visited the falconry ­centre at Woodlands last week.

Jonathan is currently writing a book describing the evolutionary history of South America through the eyes of a family of ‘caracaras’ falcons.

He has signed a ­contract for the book with UK publisher The Bodley Head and US counterpart Knopf.

As part of his research for the book, he has worked on field surveys of striated caracaras in the wild in the Falklands and Tierra del Fuego.

Jonathan visited the Woodlands family theme park to speak to its head falconer Geoff Pearson about his work training Tina, the park’s late and famously intelligent striated caracara, who died last year aged 33.

‘Caracaras, and ­striated caracaras in particular, are some of the most remarkable birds of prey in the world,’ said Jonathan. ‘They’re clever, social, curious and playful – they almost seem more like crows or parrots than falcons.

‘Geoff’s experience with Tina over many years gives us a ­fascinating glimpse into the way their minds work.’

Geoff said: ‘After Tina’s death last year we missed her so much that we decided to buy another baby caracara to train up to take Tina’s place in the displays.

‘Evita has already started training with the falconers.’

Jonathan’s book, which uses the lives of the caracaras and British author William Henry Hudson to describe and evoke the incredible history of South America’s landscapes and wildlife, is due for publication in 2018.

Evita can be seen at Woodlands’ falconry centre, which offers peace and tranquility away from all the fun in the theme park.

The indoor aviaries and outdoor flying ground are superb.

They have been designed not only to show off these ­handsome birds, but

to give them the most ­comfortable and ­natural conditions as possible.