Carolina Raptor Center Carolina Raptor Center species list (9/2/24)

biggest_dreamer

biggest_dreamer

Well-Known Member
Just visited this place for the first time, and figured we could use an updated species list since the last complete one is from 5 years ago and things have changed a good bit since then.

The facility is a short nature trail (three quarters of a mile, allegedly) inside a heavily wooded nature reserve. There were considerably more attendants here eager to talk about the birds than I typically encounter in a zoo - clearly a lot of people who are passionate about birds work here. I probably completed the trail in under an hour, but I imagine an even more serious bird fan could easily spend twice that. The exhibits seemed somewhat on the small size but the birds all seemed to enjoy their perches and several flew around as I watched them.
  1. Swainson’s hawk
  2. common raven
  3. eastern screech owl
  4. Eurasian eagle owl
  5. red-legged seriema
  6. lanner falcon
  7. Mississippi kite
  8. common kestrel
  9. red-tailed hawk
  10. hooded vulture
  11. great horned owl
  12. red-shouldered hawk
  13. black-billed magpie
  14. barn owl (signed as off exhibit)
  15. broad-winged hawk
  16. American crow
  17. turkey vulture
  18. Andean condor
  19. red-tailed hawk + turkey vulture
  20. black vulture
  21. king vulture
  22. grey-crowned crane
  23. barred owl
  24. golden eagle
  25. African fish eagle
  26. bald eagle
  27. Chaco owl
Each line represents a distinct exhibit. Most birds were solitary, but there were two bald eagles and American crows, three barred owls, and of course the one mixed exhibit as mentioned.

A recent USDA report suggests that several other species reside here (including saker falcon, peregrine falcon, American kestrel, southern ground hornbill, lesser yellow-headed vulture, and laughing kookaburra), but these were the only species I saw and there were no unaccounted for empty exhibits, so it seems like several species are kept behind the scenes.

Overall a nice little place. Probably not worth going too far out of your way for if you aren’t a big raptor fan, but I can enthusiastically recommend it to anyone in the area.
 
biggest_dreamer said:
Just visited this place for the first time, and figured we could use an updated species list since the last complete one is from 5 years ago and things have changed a good bit since then.

The facility is a short nature trail (three quarters of a mile, allegedly) inside a heavily wooded nature reserve. There were considerably more attendants here eager to talk about the birds than I typically encounter in a zoo - clearly a lot of people who are passionate about birds work here. I probably completed the trail in under an hour, but I imagine an even more serious bird fan could easily spend twice that. The exhibits seemed somewhat on the small size but the birds all seemed to enjoy their perches and several flew around as I watched them.
  1. Swainson’s hawk
  2. common raven
  3. eastern screech owl
  4. Eurasian eagle owl
  5. red-legged seriema
  6. lanner falcon
  7. Mississippi kite
  8. common kestrel
  9. red-tailed hawk
  10. hooded vulture
  11. great horned owl
  12. red-shouldered hawk
  13. black-billed magpie
  14. barn owl (signed as off exhibit)
  15. broad-winged hawk
  16. American crow
  17. turkey vulture
  18. Andean condor
  19. red-tailed hawk + turkey vulture
  20. black vulture
  21. king vulture
  22. grey-crowned crane
  23. barred owl
  24. golden eagle
  25. African fish eagle
  26. bald eagle
  27. Chaco owl
Each line represents a distinct exhibit. Most birds were solitary, but there were two bald eagles and American crows, three barred owls, and of course the one mixed exhibit as mentioned.

A recent USDA report suggests that several other species reside here (including saker falcon, peregrine falcon, American kestrel, southern ground hornbill, lesser yellow-headed vulture, and laughing kookaburra), but these were the only species I saw and there were no unaccounted for empty exhibits, so it seems like several species are kept behind the scenes.

Overall a nice little place. Probably not worth going too far out of your way for if you aren’t a big raptor fan, but I can enthusiastically recommend it to anyone in the area.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the list, looks like a promising facility. I myself am a huge fan of raptors and enjoy seeing them in zoos.
 
biggest_dreamer said:
Just visited this place for the first time, and figured we could use an updated species list since the last complete one is from 5 years ago and things have changed a good bit since then.

The facility is a short nature trail (three quarters of a mile, allegedly) inside a heavily wooded nature reserve. There were considerably more attendants here eager to talk about the birds than I typically encounter in a zoo - clearly a lot of people who are passionate about birds work here. I probably completed the trail in under an hour, but I imagine an even more serious bird fan could easily spend twice that. The exhibits seemed somewhat on the small size but the birds all seemed to enjoy their perches and several flew around as I watched them.
  1. Swainson’s hawk
  2. common raven
  3. eastern screech owl
  4. Eurasian eagle owl
  5. red-legged seriema
  6. lanner falcon
  7. Mississippi kite
  8. common kestrel
  9. red-tailed hawk
  10. hooded vulture
  11. great horned owl
  12. red-shouldered hawk
  13. black-billed magpie
  14. barn owl (signed as off exhibit)
  15. broad-winged hawk
  16. American crow
  17. turkey vulture
  18. Andean condor
  19. red-tailed hawk + turkey vulture
  20. black vulture
  21. king vulture
  22. grey-crowned crane
  23. barred owl
  24. golden eagle
  25. African fish eagle
  26. bald eagle
  27. Chaco owl
Each line represents a distinct exhibit. Most birds were solitary, but there were two bald eagles and American crows, three barred owls, and of course the one mixed exhibit as mentioned.

A recent USDA report suggests that several other species reside here (including saker falcon, peregrine falcon, American kestrel, southern ground hornbill, lesser yellow-headed vulture, and laughing kookaburra), but these were the only species I saw and there were no unaccounted for empty exhibits, so it seems like several species are kept behind the scenes.

Overall a nice little place. Probably not worth going too far out of your way for if you aren’t a big raptor fan, but I can enthusiastically recommend it to anyone in the area.
Click to expand...
Its cool that they got an African Fish Eagle, when I visited last summer that species wasn't present. A very unexpected but welcome addition! The hornbills were on-exhibit last year and they are actually Northern Ground Hornbills. I think the others besides the Saker and Yellow-headed Vulture were as well. I didnt think they had those in the collection still but I guess USDA would suggest theyre BTS. Like you, I thought the place was nice enough, but it seems the decline in rare non-native species has hit them really hard over the years and its becoming just another native bird of prey center, which is a real shame. The raptor situation in American zoos is absolutely pitiful compared to European zoos . Do we really need yet another facility holding the 354th Red-tailed Hawk or Great Horned Owl in captivity here? Certainly wouldn't pay the high fee to visit when I could see those species for free at the half dozen nature centers in the area.

The Avian Conservation Center in South Carolina (aka Birds of Prey Center) seems to still have many more non-native rarities in their collection. I went to visit a while ago but their hours were very short and I missed my chance. I hope I can take a long weekend from Atlanta and try again one of these days.
 
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SusScrofa said:
The Avian Conservation Center in South Carolina (aka Birds of Prey Center) seems to still have many more non-native rarities in their collection. I went to visit a while ago but their hours were very short and I missed my chance. I hope I can take a long weekend from Atlanta and try again one of these days.
Click to expand...

Oh wow, for some reason I thought this place didn’t allow visitors. I’m usually around the Charleston area a few times a year, so I’ll definitely make it a priority now. Them only being open Thursday through Saturday isn’t the most convenient, though… Still, super enticing species list based on what USDA says they have.
 
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