One of the best places to experience the majestic beauty of birds of prey first hand is the Alberta Birds of Prey Nature Centre in Coaldale, Alberta. Here you get to see the birds from only a few feet away, hold them, take pictures, and learn more about some of the most stunning creatures that we share the planet with. You’ll see burrowing owls, great horned owls, hawks, falcons, vultures, and more. And it’s all for a good cause—the money earned from the centre helps with the rehabilitation of birds.
Girl holding burrowing owl. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.
Daily Flight Demonstrations
Golden eagle flying. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.
One of the highlights of the centre is seeing the daily flight demonstrations. The flying demonstrations happen every 90 minutes throughout the day. You’ll gasp as the birds unfurl their massive wings to fly from perch to perch. The centre changes the type of birds flying each time. When I arrive at the demonstration station, I notice a golden eagle perching on Colin, a falconry expert at the centre. As Colin demonstrates the eagle flying he also educates us about the centre and its birds.
Close up of golden eagle. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.
One of the craziest things that you will learn when going to the centre is that birds of prey do not actually like flying. To them, flying is the equivalent of running for us. They even “pant” after running: opening their mounts and sticking their tongues out helps cool them off.
Colin stresses the importance of rehabilitation at the centre. Two thirds of the birds at the centre are not on display. Instead, they can be found on the 70 acre prairie wetland. Throughout the summer, the centre gets four to five calls per day about injured birds. A lot goes into the rehabilitation of animals, as seen in Tyler Dixon’s blog post about wildlife rehabilitation technicians.
Eagle photo op. Photo by Marina Foo.
After the flying demonstration, you’ll have the opportunity for a photo-op with the bird. Surprising fact: eagles love getting showered, so you’ll also get a chance to give the eagles a shower with a hose.
Golden eagle getting a shower. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.
Snoopy the Movie Star
The centre is home to a movie star. In the movie Shanghai Noon, Snoopy the turkey vulture gets to peck at Owen Wilson’s head. They didn’t feed Snoopy for a week before the shoot, says Colin, so he was actually attacking Owen Wilson’s head in the scene. Owen Wilson didn’t even use a stunt double. Turkey vultures only live to be 10 years old in the wild, so come to the centre quickly for a chance to meet this movie star in person.
Snoopy the turkey vulture. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.
Natural History Museum
At the north end of the centre is the Natural History Museum. Here you can compare your “wingspan” against hawks and eagles, view feathers under the microscope, see an eagle aviary, and play with interactive displays. They also include a display about the significance of eagle feathers to native Canadians. The centre saves moulted eagle feathers and then gives them to native people through the Alberta Fish & Wildlife Division to help preserve both their cultural traditions and the environment.
Hours and How to Get There
The centre is a great learning opportunity for both kids and adults. It is open from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm every day from May 10th to September 10th. Located at 2124 16th Ave in Coaldale, Alberta, it is about a two hour trip from Calgary down highway 2.