Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education

Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education is an interactive outreach program focusing on the vital role raptors play in the natural world.
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We strive to teach the importance of good stewardship and develop a passion for protecting our natural resources.

08/07/2024
It’s International Owl Day. I am so honored to be able to share these amazing birds with the public and help people appr...
08/04/2024

It’s International Owl Day. I am so honored to be able to share these amazing birds with the public and help people appreciate them and the important contributions they make to our ecosystems.

It’s International Owl Day!
08/04/2024

It’s International Owl Day!

Here are about 170 different words for owl used around the world in honor of

We love doing our Reading With Raptors outreach with our local schools, libraries and daycares!  Today we visited with P...
07/23/2024

We love doing our Reading With Raptors outreach with our local schools, libraries and daycares! Today we visited with Prattville Kindercare. We read “Maggie, The One-Eyed Peregrine Falcon” by Christie Gove-Berg. It’s a story about a young peregrine falcon that had an accident that prevented her from going back into her native habitat so she learned to be an education ambassador, teaching people about falcons and other birds of prey.

Then Miki-Natchez and Acuity captivated our young audience. Miki is a Mississippi Kite that also had an accident at a young age so, like Maggie, he also learning to be an education ambassador. Acuity, the barred owl is an old pro at teaching folks about our native raptors.



Gross Out Camp  #4 in the books!  Thanks to Vicky Beckham Smith and team for inviting us to your summer camps!
07/19/2024

Gross Out Camp #4 in the books! Thanks to Vicky Beckham Smith and team for inviting us to your summer camps!



JS- I have the absolute BEST husband!  I have been complaining about how hot it is (just like everyone else in central A...
07/12/2024

JS- I have the absolute BEST husband! I have been complaining about how hot it is (just like everyone else in central Alabama). So he installed an air conditioner in my mews work area so I am comfortable when I am working in there and preparing diets for the birds. Griffin gave his stamp of approval as well while he hung out with me today.

Rescue  #7 of the year. Helped this pretty girl across the road this morning.
07/08/2024

Rescue #7 of the year. Helped this pretty girl across the road this morning.

Science Matters Camp at Auburn University- definitely the nicest venue we have ever been in. We shared all things Raptor...
06/25/2024

Science Matters Camp at Auburn University- definitely the nicest venue we have ever been in. We shared all things Raptors with two groups of kids. The kids were very attentive and asked a lot of really good questions. And we were 4 for 4 on pooping on the floor. Kids always get a kick out of poop…

Please don’t litter!  It is unsightly AND it is dangerous to our wildlife!
06/23/2024

Please don’t litter! It is unsightly AND it is dangerous to our wildlife!

Please be mindful, especially this time of year, if the effects of food litter on wildlife. Littering is unacceptable even if it’s biodegradable. Many animals are hit by cars every day because they are looking for food in or near roadways as a direct result of food litter. One of the easiest ways you can save wild animals is by holding onto your food waste until you’re able to put it in an trash can or compost bin.

It was super hot today at Wind Creek State Park-Alabama so we brought things inside. Park Naturalist Dylan and I shared ...
06/23/2024

It was super hot today at Wind Creek State Park-Alabama so we brought things inside. Park Naturalist Dylan and I shared different artifacts with the park guests and then had some fun with his collection of education ambassadors. Ellie the Norway Rat was a hit with the kids. Then he took his beautiful Ball Python, Rosa Lee outside to show off her iridescent colors in the sunshine.

Gross Out Camp- week 2. My special guest/assistant Chris helped show the kids some of our amazing bird ambassadors. We w...
06/22/2024

Gross Out Camp- week 2. My special guest/assistant Chris helped show the kids some of our amazing bird ambassadors. We were 3 for 4 pooping on the floor, although D’Artagnan pooped twice to make up for Sassy choosing not to participate. After our program the kids dissected owl pellets. P**p and Vomit- Perfect way to end GrossOut Camp.

Thank you to Vicky Beckham Smith for including us in this fun camp!

Annie Oakley popping out to say “Good Morning Everyone!”  Have a great Tuesday!
06/18/2024

Annie Oakley popping out to say “Good Morning Everyone!” Have a great Tuesday!

Busy day for the Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education kids today- early program for the campers at Auburn’s Gross Out Camp th...
06/15/2024

Busy day for the Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education kids today- early program for the campers at Auburn’s Gross Out Camp then off to Wind Creek State Park-Alabama for a Raptor Program for the park guests.


06/09/2024

After over 260 days under the care of Auburn University Raptor Center following a collision with a car, this beautiful red tailed hawk is back in his home territory. So excited that Heidi Gezzi got to assist in her first raptor release! Fly high big guy!

Kids Day at Locust Fork- shared some of our beautiful education ambassadors with over 250 visitors. Grateful for a gorge...
06/09/2024

Kids Day at Locust Fork- shared some of our beautiful education ambassadors with over 250 visitors. Grateful for a gorgeous day on the river with enthusiastic kids and so many amazing volunteers!

Griffin is supervising kennel cleaning. He’s making sure I did it right. Join us at Lake Guntersville State Park Campgro...
05/26/2024

Griffin is supervising kennel cleaning. He’s making sure I did it right. Join us at Lake Guntersville State Park Campground today (Sunday 5/26/24) for our raptor program at 5:00.

Vultures are awesome!
05/19/2024

Vultures are awesome!

What is a tubercle?  Why is it important?
05/14/2024

What is a tubercle? Why is it important?

RAPTOR 101: FORM EQUALS FUNCTION. DIFFERENT RAPTORS HAVE DIFFERENT ABILITIES.

Eagles have some incredible features and abilities that capture the human imagination. However, they can't do everything and, in fact, different types of raptors have different features and abilities that tailor them to the lives they lead. For example, Bald Eagles fly at around 30mph and can dive at up to 100mph, whereas a Peregrine Falcon can dive at speeds of over 200mph, the fastest animal on the planet! But you might wonder, why can't an eagle dive like that? Let's explore!

By design, eagles are designed for soaring, not speed. This is primarily due to their wing shape which is straight and broad, designed for generating maximum lift. Soaring comes in handy when you are scanning the landscape below for prey to eat, like fish in a lake or river. On the other hand, falcons are designed for speed, with sleeker wings that tuck in and cut through the air for diving at high speeds. In fact, one example, the Peregrine Falcon, is a bird eater and its hunting strategy is to go into a steep, fast dive and literally punch other birds out of the air with its feet balled up. It's a literal "falcon punch".

Diving at such high speeds for an eagle (and other birds) would be dangerous because they lack a key safety feature. At those speeds, air rushes through the nose and into the lungs with such force, that their lungs could rupture, killing them. Falcons have a special "tubercle" in their nostrils, a bony structure that acts like a baffle. This forces the air to move in a spiral pattern as it enters the nose as opposed to straight down into the lungs. Thus, they can continue to breathe normally during high-speed dives when other birds cannot. You can see the tubercle in this close-up photo of a Peregrine Falcon. Photo courtesy of Pixabay. 🦅😯😀😎👍

Crazy, busy day!  We spent the morning with Legacy, Partners in Environmental Education’s Educator Expedition sharing al...
04/28/2024

Crazy, busy day! We spent the morning with Legacy, Partners in Environmental Education’s Educator Expedition sharing all things Raptor. Thanks to Heidi, Lauren and Kyla for sharing our animal ambassadors with the class.

Then we switched gears and went to a program about bats at Wind Creek State Park-Alabama. Vicky Beckham Smith had some fun bat activities for the guests and then had a very informative program on bats and shared some of her ambassadors including her cute bat friend, Robin.

We didn’t have an opportunity to take pictures at the program but I am so grateful to Lauren and Baily for helping share...
04/16/2024

We didn’t have an opportunity to take pictures at the program but I am so grateful to Lauren and Baily for helping share our birds with the folks at Santuck Baptist Church at their monthly luncheon. Little Miki Natchez is learning to be an amazing ambassador and of course sweet Acuity is an old pro.

It was a beautiful afternoon at Prattville Elementary School. We talked about everything raptors with Mrs. Mason and Mrs...
04/13/2024

It was a beautiful afternoon at Prattville Elementary School. We talked about everything raptors with Mrs. Mason and Mrs. Ferguson’s third grade classes! The kids asked a lot of great questions. Miki Natchez, Acuity, Sassy and Griffin enjoyed meeting everyone!

We missed posting this yesterday for Gopher Tortoise Day. Gopher Tortoises are a keystone species and are incredibly imp...
04/11/2024

We missed posting this yesterday for Gopher Tortoise Day. Gopher Tortoises are a keystone species and are incredibly important to the ecosystems they inhabit. Their burrows are homes to over 350 other species including the beautiful, yet endangered indigo snake, the gopher frog and burrowing owls.

Good morning!  The many owls of coffee!
04/09/2024

Good morning! The many owls of coffee!

04/04/2024

So excited to share this interview we did with Abigail and Henry with Alexander City Outlook featuring our amazing bird ambassadors!

We are excited to partner with Legacy, Partners in Environmental Education for this workshop at beautiful Ft Toulouse. P...
03/19/2024

We are excited to partner with Legacy, Partners in Environmental Education for this workshop at beautiful Ft Toulouse. Plan to come meet our amazing bird ambassadors up close and learn about our native avian friends!

Register today to join Legacy and the award-winning Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education team to learn all about our feathered friends. This workshop is filled with various hands-on activities and personal encounters to bring educators closer to our avian neighbors. The Alabama Ornithological Society will provide bird curriculum and resources for participants to understand birds, bird habitats, and the role of birds in Alabama’s ecosystem. Participants will be able to meet some of Alabama’s best-known raptors with Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education. We will discover the birds at Fort Toulouse on an afternoon bird walk. Leave with an educational toolkit! https://legacyenved.org/educator-excursions/

“Feaking” is how birds clean their beaks and keep them naturally filed down. Beaks and talons are made of keratin like o...
03/02/2024

“Feaking” is how birds clean their beaks and keep them naturally filed down. Beaks and talons are made of keratin like our hair and fingernails, so they are always growing. Even vultures will feak to clean off the debris on their head and beak after their latest feast. Griffin is demonstrating the proper way to keep his beak in pristine condition. (Griffin is an education ambassador whose role is to help people understand the importance of our natural resources and encourage environmental stewardship).

Although it will take some time before toxicology reports are back, there are some initial findings that indicate rodent...
02/25/2024

Although it will take some time before toxicology reports are back, there are some initial findings that indicate rodenticides may have contributed to Flaco’s death. Rodenticides kill more than just their intended victims. Our wildlife and even our pets can suffer from second hand poisoning. We have to do better by them. Flaco became a celebrity in New York City and across the world as we watched him figure out how to survive in a crazy busy metropolitan environment. I hope his loss is a wake up call that rodenticides aren’t the answer.

New York City, Feb. 24, 2024 – The following statement was released by Central Park Zoo: Bronx Zoo pathologists performed a necropsy today on Flaco, the Central Park Zoo’s Eurasian eagle owl, who died yesterday evening after reportedly colliding with a Manhattan building. The initial f

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Mt Hebron Road
Eclectic, AL
36024

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