The Avian Reconditioning Center for Birds of Prey

One of our long-time volunteers, Rachel, used her amazing creative talents to make beautiful, handmade wooden nameplates for our ambassador bird mews! Some feature species silhouettes, while our fish-eating residents (like our eagle and osprey) got fun, cute fish carvings!

Here are some pictures of the ones that are already on display (I think Max was hoping his was a real fish!), and she's already hard at work making more. Thank you, Rachel!

Earlier today, it was all blue skies and fluffy clouds—perfect weather, according to Mrs. P, for sitting on the glove! While tomorrow's forecast calls for showers, we know how unpredictable Florida weather can be. We'll be keeping a close eye on the skies and will post updates if anything changes.

For now, we plan to be open tomorrow from 10 AM to 4 PM. This is our very last weekend of regular hours before we switch to our summer schedule (10 AM to 1 PM for June and July), so come on out and see our amazing ambassadors! Admission is $5 per person, and children 5 and under are free.

Last week, we took a look back at some of our educational ambassadors to see how much they’ve grown since arriving as nestlings and fledglings. For this , we have two more birds to highlight, complete with adorable baby pictures, of course!

Ella, the barn owl, is part of ARC’s Falconry School and Falconry Experience programs. She joined us as a nestling from a captive breeding program in April 2023. Shortly after her arrival, Ella began training to interact with the public, giving guests the unique opportunity to hold a barn owl, learn about this incredible species, and see her amazing adaptations up close!

Ford, the Aplomado Falcon, arrived at ARC shortly after Ella in June 2023. Also coming from a captive breeding program (a requirement that allows both Ford and Ella to interact with the public), Ford quickly started his training. He learned how to fly with a falconer and even how to fly directly to our guests' gloves, showing off the speed and agility falcons are known for! As you can see in the photos, he still had his fuzzy little baby head feathers back then!

To learn more about our Falconry Experiences and book your spot to hang out with these two amazing birds, head over to our website, www.arc4raptors.org!

Yesterday, our Senior Raptor Care Technician, Amanda Wilkes, celebrated 10 years with ARC!

What started as a volunteer role in 2016 has evolved into a decade of incredible dedication as a staff member. Today, Amanda wears many hats: caring for our resident birds and rehab patients, running the clinic, educating guests, working with volunteers, and even designing ARC’s graphics and t-shirts!

Is there anything she can't do? Amanda, thank you for a decade of passion, hard work, and heart!

On this Memorial Day, we pause to remember the men and women who gave everything for our country and our freedom. We will always remember and honor their sacrifice.

Today, our volunteers helped move some of our young kestrels into a larger enclosure with more room to fly and practice branching. Similar to the red-tailed hawk flight enclosure we posted about earlier this week, this one is filled with natural branches for exploring, hiding, and building essential skills.

To give these rehab birds the best chance at release, we limit their contact with our staff and volunteers and keep them out of public view. However, you can still meet our resident American Kestrels, Falcor and Slinky—our wonderful surrogate kestrel dad! Come and see us tomorrow from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM (weather permitting; birds begin going home at 3:00 PM).

Last month, we shared a post featuring a few of our residents as they grew up, trading their juvenile plumage for stunning adult feathers. Since it is now nesting season for many species, we’re shifting our focus to some of our ambassadors who started their journeys with us as fuzzy nestlings and fledglings!

Archer, our red-shouldered hawk, came to ARC in 2012 as a nestling. She had suffered severe neurological trauma after being thrown to the ground when her nest tree was cut down. Initially, Archer was unable to use her legs or even hold her head up. However, after a period of intense physical therapy and dedicated care, she was able to stand and, eventually, fly. Despite these incredible improvements, Archer was left with permanent neurological damage that made her non-releasable, leading to her vital role as an education ambassador.

In 2013, Lavinia the black vulture arrived at ARC still covered in fluffy, beige down. As a chick, Lavinia contracted avian pox, which severely damaged her right wing and ultimately required a partial amputation. Because she is unable to fly, she could not survive in the wild and instead became a permanent educational ambassador at ARC.

Gracie, a great horned owl, transferred to ARC as a pre-fledgling in 2023 after receiving treatment for a severe right eye injury. Unfortunately, the injury and subsequent infection caused Gracie to lose vision in that eye. This impairment makes flight incredibly difficult for her, as she struggles to judge distances accurately.

This picture of a very fuzzy, very triangle-shaped owl is Wedge, and yes, this is exactly where he got his name! This fuzzy little great horned owl arrived at ARC in February 2024 after being found on the ground with a broken wing. During his intake exam, we discovered that the injury actually consisted of multiple fractures that had already healed, causing the bones in his wing to fuse improperly. Because Wedge cannot extend his wing well enough to fly, he found a permanent home at ARC as an educational ambassador.

The last of our great horned owls headed back out into nature this past week! With their departure, it was time to deep-clean and refresh our 100-foot flight enclosure for our next occupants: red-tailed hawks.

After power-washing, raking, and sifting the enclosure, we took some extra time for a little "Mew and Garden" landscaping. By adding fresh, leafy branches and dense brush, we created a more natural environment for the red-tailed hawks to explore. This will give the hawks exposure to varying branch diameters that bounce and swing when they land, just like they'd experience in nature. Low branches and ramps also give our younger fledglings the opportunity to practice and strengthen their flight.

We don't just randomly place branches and greenery around the enclosure; everything is carefully selected and positioned to provide safe enrichment for the hawks.

We are open tomorrow! Come on out and visit us from 10 AM to 4 PM (weather permitting; birds begin going home at 3 PM). Admission is $5 per person, and children aged 5 and under are free.

Imagine having a Barn Owl, Red-tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, or even a Bald Eagle visit your camp or club this summer! 🦉🦅

With the season nearly here, our raptors are ready to meet your students and campers for an unforgettable experience. Our educational programs focus on the natural history of these incredible species and their essential impact on our environment. We offer both on-site and off-site programs and can customize our presentations to support your specific curriculum upon request. Check out our website at www.arc4raptors.org for all the details on pricing and program types!