Raptor Free Flight!
The most extraordinary birds of prey exhibition in the United States!
October 20, 2012 through April 14, 2013 — Shows daily at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Why this presentation is so impressive …
- The birds fly completely untethered, without any jesses (leg straps).
- Presentations occur in the open desert, not in an amphitheater!
- It features one of only two raptor species in the world and the only North American species, that hunt as a family, like wolves, and are native to the Sonoran Desert!
- No two shows are exactly the same!
Watch as these amazing aerialists soar and swoop in their native desert habitat while a narrator describes their attributes, habitats and behaviors.
The birds fly so precisely and so close that you can feel the brush of feathers and rush of air as the birds fly by!
Bring your cameras and get ready for some supercharged action!
See a selection of birds flying from the following species currently in the Museum's collection:
Peregrine falcons · Barn Owls · Red-tailed Hawks · Ferruginous Hawks
Great Horned Owls · Gray Hawks · Prairie Falcons · Chihuahuan Ravens · Harris's Hawks.
In the wild, Harris's Hawks fly in family groups of three to seven birds. Watch as they ascend and hunt together! Family dynamics change throughout the season and you might just witness the female assert her dominance by ousting the smaller males off the tops of the saguaros!
Arizona is one of the only states where Harris's Hawks can be found in the wild.
Fun Ferruginous Hawk fact: The largest hawk found in North America
See more Fun Facts here!
