Outdoor Discovery Center (Holland, MI) species list (8/8/23)

AlmightyKingPrawn

AlmightyKingPrawn

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Very nice facility, I can see why family in town spoke so highly of it. There is a visitors center at the front with several exhibits and many dioramas, some animal exhibits behind the visitors center, and, after a fairly long hike through some very pretty forests and wetlands, a bird of prey center. I was lucky to be there when all the birds of prey were getting fed.

Keep in mind that I did NOT consciously try to get a species list in my brain when I was there. As such, I am FOR SURE forgetting some of the small visitor center animals.

Visitors Center:
Mudpuppy (no-show)
Hybrid Bluegill
Pumpkinseed Sunfish
Some other types of native fish I forgot lol
Calico Crayfish
Painted Turtle
Map Turtle
Green Frogs
Leopard Frogs
American Bullfrog
Spiny Softshell Turtle (no-show)
Common Snapping Turtle (teeny tiny baby)
Corn Snake
2 Black Rat Snakes
Eastern Garter Snake
Eastern Screech Owl

Outside, behind the visitors center:
Domestic Rabbits (allegedly two, one was no-show)
Wood Turtle
Eastern Box Turtle (no-show)
Red Fox
Red Tailed Hawk
Snowy Owl (I believe female)
Virginia Opossum (napping, barely visible)
North American Porcupine (napping, barely visible)
Striped Skunk (napping, barely visible)

DeWitt Birds of Prey Center:
3 Eastern Screech Owls
2 Barred Owls
Western Barn Owl (the only non-Michigan-native species at the facility, albeit barely as they literally look identical to the American ones; if the signage didn't say that it was "the European species and not the Michigan native" I would have never noticed)
Great Horned Owl
Merlin (sadly a no-show)
Peregrine Falcon (I believe female)
American Kestrel (male)
Golden Eagle
2 Bald Eagles
Broad Winged Hawk
2 Red Shouldered Hawks
Red Tailed Hawk
2 Turkey Vultures

Yes, I know it's 2 AM, I just wanted to list this before I forgot more details. I hope that at least one of you appreciates this.

After I get sleep I'll upload some pics :]
 
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I notice one of the images associated with this location is of a bull American elk in a pond, are there any wild elk at this location or sign of former captive or former presence in general? It might be a misattribution, but I was curious.
 
Pardon the delay, but I went again on 8/8/25.

The visitor center has been revamped. It's now largely an art gallery of different conservation-related art. As such, I will repeat animals to reflect their new placements in the building.

First Room:
Green Frog
Grey Tree Frog (unspecified if Eastern or Cope's)/American Toad
Eastern Box Turtle
Eastern Garter Snake
Black Rat Snake
Hybrid Bluegill/Pumpkinseed Sunfish/Plecostomus (the most common pet species)

Room 2:
Painted Turtle/Northern Map Turtle
Eastern Screech Owl

First outdoor area mostly unchanged except:
* There is now a third Rabbit housed separately from the other two named Joe Pye.
* No more Red-Tailed Hawk, I think it moved to the Birds of Prey complex.

Birds of Prey, this time I paid attention to signage for genders and stuff. Again, I'll be restating species:
1.0 Merlin has moved and he's unsigned
4 Eastern Screech Owls now (housed together, if not stated birds have separate housing)
2 Barred Owls
0.1 Western Barn Owl
0.1 Great Horned Owl
Cooper's Hawk
1.0 Peregrine Falcon
0.1 American Kestrel
2 Red-Tailed Hawks
Golden Eagle
Broad-Winged Hawk
0.1 Red-Shouldered Hawk, only one now
1.0.1 Bald Eagles
2 Turkey Vultures (housed together)
 
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