Centaurs are forest-dwelling, and in each country where colonies exist, the Wizarding authority has set aside land exclusively for their use. One place Centaurs live is in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. However, Centaurs have their own methods of concealment, and avoid contact with both Wizards and Muggles. They generally live in herds of ten to fifty individuals.

Centaurs do not use wands for magic, but are known to be well-versed in magical healing, Divination, archery, and Astronomy. Centaurs burn herbs such as Mallowsweet to refine their stargazing findings.

Centaurs on the whole seem also to be rather prideful of their species, evident by their testiness whenever anyone even accidentally alludes to them being "used" by humankind, and are likely to beat or kill anyone of their kind to "enter into human servitude". Their pride is seen again in their decision to be placed in the Beast Category instead of the Being Category in the British Ministry of Magic archives, because they wished to not be associated with Hags and Vampires, who are placed as Beings.

Centaurs also seem to favour nature over technology, the zenith of their seen tools being their bows and arrows. Instead, they cast their attention upon reading signs in nature, and living in forests appropriated by the Ministry of Magic.