Oregon Zoo - Bald Eagle Exhibit

August 2008. This is a view from beneath the bald eagle aviary, as the birds have free access to a well-stocked fish pond in their habitat. Visitors first walk into the eagle enclosure, and then stroll down a pathway to look up from a vastly different angle.

Cool, I wonder if the Eagles have ever caught a fish before.

I'm not sure how often the eagles catch fish, but this is really a brilliant exhibit and it provides a fascinating viewing opportunity for visitors to look up at the large birds.

Ah!

I was thinking only the other day that a walk-through aviary (though I wasn't sure if this was plausible) for bald eagles, ospreys or sea-eagles would be excellent if it had a large lake from which the birds have to catch their prey.

Fish seem to be more or less the only live prey (apart from insects) that visitors will accept seeing in zoos. Melbourne Zoo provides live fish for its fishing cats and Arafura file snake, and possibly others as well. Excellent enrichment - I'll never forget watching the file snake stalk and *very nearly* snatch a small gulf saratoga in its tank.