Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, Milwaukee, WI Videos

Perseus, our Barred Owl, Displays Her Excellent Sense of Hearing!
Happy Talon Tuesday! Barred Owls, like Perseus, often prefer forest habitats with a water source like a marsh, stream, or swamp. While they hunt a wide range of animals, amphibians and crayfish are frequently on the menu, and they will even pounce into shallow water to catch them! Here, Perseus is utilizing her excellent sense of hearing which helps with hunting. Watch as she swivels her head and facial disc around to collect sound. Learn more about Perseus: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptor/perseus/

Falcons and Their Tomial Tooth!
Happy Talon Tuesday! Falcons have many adaptations that allow them to be fast and efficient specialists when it comes to preying on other birds. Although birds have beaks instead of teeth, falcons have a special notch on their top mandible known as a tomial tooth. A collision with its prey at 200mph, combined with biting down with this special tooth, usually nets the falcon a meal. Learn about Otis, our Peregrine Falcon: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptor/otis/

Guess Which Of Our Birds Displays This Beautiful Plumage!
Happy Talon Tuesday! Can you guess who this beautiful plumage belongs to? While the dark coloration in these feathers is due to a pigment called melanin, the iridescence results from the structure of the feather itself. The way light refracts off each microscopic feather barbule creates the shimmering colors that dazzle our eyes. This gives even the darkest colored birds, like crows, ravens, and vultures, some extra depth and glow when the sun is shining! Learn more about Loki: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptor/loki/

Perseus, Our Barred Owl, Taking a Bath!
Happy Talon Tuesday! Feathers are a bird’s lifeline - they insulate, waterproof, and of course, provide the power of flight. Bathing is just one way for birds to keep their feathers in top condition, allowing them to be more agile fliers. Enjoy a few cute moments of Perseus, our Barred Owl, taking a bath! Learn more about Perseus: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptor/perseus/

Loki, Our American Crow, Puzzling Over His Enrichment Activity!
Happy Talon Tuesday! Crows are in the family known as Corvidae, as are ravens, jays, and magpies. As social, opportunistic, and highly adaptable birds, their intelligence is some of the most impressive in the animal kingdom. In the wild, crows have been observed using tools, solving multi-step puzzles, and working communally to acquire food or confront threats. Watch as Loki, our own American Crow, works his way through some puzzling enrichment! Learn more about Loki: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptor/loki/

Nicco, our Broad-winged Hawk, Vocalizing His "Kee-eer" Whistle!
Happy Talon Tuesday! Broad-winged Hawks are long distance migrants that leave Wisconsin early in the fall and return late in the spring, when the air is warm and circulating. Often migrating in large numbers, these birds rely on warm air thermals to help them conserve energy on their long journey to Central and South America. If you are hiking through the woods in late spring, listen for the high pitched "kee-eer" whistle sounding like Nicco’s vocalization! Learn more about Nicco: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptor/nicco/

Sky Walker, our Adaptable Red-tailed Hawk, Enjoying Enrichment!
Happy Talon Tuesday! Red-tailed Hawks are often described as a "jack-of-all-trades" due to their adaptability to a variety of habitats and prey. They even readily adapt to human altered landscapes and urban areas, frequently perching on telephone poles, road signs, and buildings. Watch as Sky Walker, our 25-year-old female Red-tailed Hawk, thoroughly enjoys some enrichment as nesting season draws near! Learn more about Sky Walker: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptor/sky-walker/

Zari, Our Great Horned Owl, Recently Laid Two Eggs!
Happy Talon Tuesday! Our Great Horned Owl, Zari, recently laid two eggs and is already proving to be a very dedicated parent. Each of our raptor ambassadors are housed alone, meaning the eggs are unfertilized and will not hatch. Zari will likely incubate for about 30 days, until she decides to no longer watch them. Nesting season is also here for wild owls. Keep your ears open for the guttural calls of chicks in April and May! Learn more about Zari: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptor/zari/

Perseus, Our Barred Owl, Displaying Her Facial Disc!
Happy Talon Tuesday! An owls broad, disc-shaped face is just one of the many adaptations that make it a highly successful predator. Known as a facial disc, this shape is surrounded by thousands of tiny feathers, and serves to collect sound waves and direct them to the owl’s ears. When an owl hears something, it turns its entire head to face the sound, and its asymmetrically placed ears allow it to pinpoint the exact location! Take a closer look at Perseus, the Barred Owl, turning to collect all the sounds around her. Learn more about Perseus: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptor/perseus/

Atlas, Our Red-shouldered Hawk, Cleaning Her Well Adapted Beak!
Happy Talon Tuesday! Bird beaks come in an incredible variety of shapes and sizes, naturally selected over time to make them perfectly adapted for the kind of food they eat. While some are used for probing, catching insects, cracking seeds, or filtering food, raptor beaks are sharp, strong, and curved for tearing meat. Take a closer look at the beak of Atlas, our Red-shouldered Hawk, and watch as she takes a moment to feak, or clean her beak by rubbing it against a surface! Learn more about Atlas: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptor/atlas/

Meet Willow at The Smallest Owl: Book Reading on Sunday, February 18!
Happy Talon Tuesday! Did you know that our very own Willow, the Northern Saw-whet Owl, is the star of a children's book? Join us on Sunday, February 18 as Raptor Staff reads The Smallest Owl, a story based on Willow's journey to becoming a raptor ambassador. After the story, you will have the opportunity to meet Willow in person and enjoy interactive activities! Books are available in the Center’s Nature Store or online. All proceeds go to Willow and her new feathered family at Schlitz Audubon. Purchase tickets now! https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/the-smallest-owl-book-reading/

Valkyrie, our Bald Eagle, Enjoying Gorgeous January Weather!
Happy Talon Tuesday! Though often a solitary species, Bald Eagles can congregate in huge numbers at communal roosting and feeding sites - particularly at areas with open water in the wintertime. As breeding season begins here in Wisconsin, eagles typically begin nesting mid-February through March. Once hatched, eaglets take just under three months to grow to their full size! Watch as our adult eagle, Valkyrie, enjoys some gorgeous January weather! Learn more about Valkyrie: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptor/valkyrie/

Turkey Vultures, Like Tallulah, Play Vital Role In Our Ecosystem!
Happy Talon Tuesday! For many years, it was mistakenly believed that vultures spread disease and were responsible for livestock losses. Because of this, they were commonly persecuted and killed. We now know that vultures are an integral part of our ecosystems, and actually play a vital role in keeping the environment clean and healthy! Tallulah, our own Turkey Vulture, educates the public about the beauty of these birds and importance of their presence. Learn about Tallulah: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptor/tallulah/

The Variably Plumaged Red-tailed Hawk!
Happy Talon Tuesday! The Red-tailed Hawk is perhaps the most variably plumaged raptor in North America, with three recognized colorations, or morphs - light, intermediate, and dark. Countless plumage variations exist, ranging from almost completely white to completely dark underneath. Like our own Red-tailed Hawk, Sky Walker, adults exhibit the classic red to orange tail and a pale underbelly with a band of dark feathers across the midsection. Learn about Sky Walker: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptor/sky-walker/

The Smallest Species of Owl Found in Wisconsin!
Happy Talon Tuesday! The Northern Saw-whet Owl and Eastern Screech Owl are the two smallest species of owl found in Wisconsin, typically weighing around a quarter of a pound. Although these species are exceptional at staying hidden using camouflage, stillness, and their distinctively nocturnal nature, they can often be found in wooded urban and suburban habitats - including your own backyard! Learn about our Raptor Program https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/raptors/raptor-program/

Meet Our Newest Animal Ambassador, Nigel, the Blue-tongued Skink!
Meet our newest animal ambassador, Nigel, the blue-tongued skink! Native to Australia and Indonesia, smaller skink species can be found in Wisconsin. Blue-tongued skinks are relatively docile and omnivorous reptiles, known for puffing up and flattening out their blue tongue when threatened by predators. Nigel will help teach the public about the importance of reptiles to our ecosystems!

Thank You For Participating in Xtreme Raptor Day 2023 and Supporting Our Raptor Program! !
As our Xtreme Raptor Day comes to a close, we want to thank all of you for your support and participation. Whether you visited us onsite or have another memorable experience with our birds, we enjoy sharing and celebrating these amazing creatures with you! If you would like to directly support their care and work as environmental educators, you can still visit Xtreme23.givesmart.com!

Meet Our Birds Up Close at Xtreme Raptor Day on Saturday, November 4!
Xtreme Raptor Day is this Saturday, November 4th! Meet our birds up close through a full day of fun, interactive, and educational experiences for the entire family. You can also directly support the care of our 15 ambassadors and work they do throughout the community at Xtreme23.givesmart.com! Purchase your tickets now: https://www.schlitzaudubon.org/event/xtreme-raptor-day/

Xtreme Raptor Day is on Saturday, November 4. Join us!
On Saturday, November 4th the Center is celebrating our biggest day of the year - Xtreme Raptor Day! The birds of our Raptor Program play a pivotal role in inspiring appreciation for wildlife and nature in the community. You can directly help support their care and environmental education at Xtreme23.givesmart.com!

Happy Owl-Oween! As Athena, our Barn Owl, gears up for Xtreme Raptor Day this Saturday, we wish you a safe and fun day! #barnowl #Holloween2023 #birdsofprey #owl