Desert Dome-Black-billed Magpie/Burrowing Owl Exhibit

I think that it would be neat if they put Harris' Hawks in here instead of I think it was Burrowing Owl/Quail/Rabbit when I visited most recently.

It would suit a medium size bird of prey well.

On my most recent visit (January 29), there was mountain quail, burrowing owl, and desert cottontail. I beleive you went a week after I did?

KCZooFan said:

On my most recent visit (January 29), there was mountain quail, burrowing owl, and desert cottontail. I beleive you went a week after I did?

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Yes, I went on February 5th and 6th.

I feel like raptors were under-represented at Omaha, adding Harris' Hawk here would help fix that problem, and to me they are an iconic "american southwest" species. The Burrowing Owls could be moved into one of the wall exhibits, such as the one that contained only quail.

According to ISIS, they have Harris's hawk, red-tailed hawk, rough-legged hawk, Swainson's hawk, golden eagle, and bald eagle, but I guess that most of these are at their other facility.

In the past they had both American kestrel and turkey vulture in the Desert Dome.

When I was there I went in the bird holding spaces throughtout the zoo and the only birds of prey I remember seeing were 1 Spectacled Owl and 1 hawk, I think it may have been a Harris'.

Interesting, I do recal spectacled owls in the Lied Jungle, but that was years ago. They also used to have eastern screech owls in the swamp area of Kingdoms of the Night.

How were you able to see these holding spaces?

KCZooFan said:

How were you able to see these holding spaces?

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When I was there I met with the assistant and direct supervisors of the bird department and they showed me around and took me into the holding spaces.

There were burrowing owls and a roadrunner on my visit on July 6th, and this is one of the nicest exhibits in the vast Desert Dome.