We're open! We value the health and safety of our guests, staff, and animals. Because of this, we have made modifications to the Desert Museum experience following public guidance and health recommendations. Please be sure to review the FAQs before your visit.

Raptor Free Flight!
The most extraordinary birds of prey exhibition in the United States!

Daily October 19, 2019 through February 29, 2020 — 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Daily March 1, 2020 through April 12, 2020 — 10:00 a.m. only
(All dates and times subject to weather-related change)

(It is recommended that visitors arrive at the Museum at least 30 minutes prior to the presentation times to allow time to park, enter, and walk to the demonstration area.)

Why this presentation is so impressive …

  1. The birds fly so close you can feel the brush of feathers as they whiz by!
  2. The birds fly completely untethered, without any jesses (leg straps) and most often without bracelets.
  3. Presentations occur in the open desert, not in an amphitheater!
  4. It features the only raptor species in the world that hunt as a family using strategy, like wolves!
  5. Only birds native to the Sonoran Desert region are flown in the demonstrations.
  6. Different birds fly in each show (10 a.m. and 2 p.m.) so each show is unique.

Watch as these amazing aerialists soar and swoop in their native desert habitat while a narrator describes their attributes, habitats and behaviors.

Gray Hawk landing

Bring your cameras and get ready for some supercharged action!

See our full Raptor Free Flight photo gallery here

See a selection of birds flying from the following species currently in the Museum's collection:

Chihuahuan Ravens • Great Horned Owl • Ferruginous Hawk • Caracara • Peregrine Falcon • Red-tailed Hawk • Barn Owl • Gray Hawk • Harris's Hawks

Note: There is never a guarantee that a certain species will fly during any given demonstration, due to weather, season, vet checks, etc.

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!

Our Harris's Hawk Family
© Walt Thomas

Arizona is one of the only states where Harris's Hawks can be found in the wild.

The crowd watches as a Prairie Falcon flies over their heads
© Kenny Don

Fun Peregrine falcon fact: One of the greatest conservation success stories. Through captive-breeding and reintroduction and the ban of a chemical pesticide called DDT, peregrine falcons are no longer an endangered species.
See more Fun Facts here!

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Raptor Free Flights About the Birds
Chihuahuan Raven Great Horned Owl Ferruginous Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Peregrine Falcon Barn Owl Gray Hawk Harris's Hawk
Photo Gallery Fun Facts
“Thank you for the wonderful Raptor presentation, as the Madison/Tucson Friendship Force really enjoyed it at 10 a.m. The woman giving the presentation was outstanding in her delivery and knowledge.”
-Barbara B.