Yes, wild is better, BUT, you are never going to get this close in the wild to a raptor, so I think a portrait like this does have a place.
I do think there are a few improvements that could be made. I find the banded background a bit distracting, and the shallow depth of field reduces the impact a bit. Obviously there was limited light available.
As far as the bg, I have had good luck asking the birds handler to move a bit, or turn in such a way that I got a better background.