Every bird you see at the Carolina Raptor Center has an important job as an ambassador for their species. By providing awe-inspiring experiences, our avian ambassadors encourage guests to become stewards of the natural world.

Each avian ambassador has a unique background. The avian ambassadors native to the U.S. were admitted to our Raptor Hospital or another licensed rehabilitation facility and were deemed non-releaseable. These birds had the qualities we look for to successfully fill the job of an avian ambassador. Avian ambassadors native to countries outside the U.S. were hatched and reared in licensed facilities within the U.S. for the purpose of global conservation.

As a birds-first facility, the welfare of our avian ambassadors is our top priority. All of our birds receive top-notch care to ensure they can fulfill their important jobs as ambassadors for their species.

We use a variety of tools to ensure the best welfare for our avian ambassadors, including industry best practices, the natural history of each species, and state and federal regulations.

HABITAT

Every enclosure is designed to fit the needs of each species and individual, with everything from size, perching, and substrate customized for each bird. Our enclosures meet all relevant standards for caring for these species to give our birds a home that keeps them safe and healthy.

DIET AND NUTRITION

All of our raptor ambassadors are carnivores, meaning they eat exclusively meat, but unique diets are carefully created for each bird. We feed our ambassadors whole, dead prey, including mice, rats, chick, insects, and fish. Multivitamin supplements and other medications are added into the food to make sure that birds are receiving all of their nutritional needs. Our non-raptor ambassadors, like ravens and crows, also receive a variety of fruits and vegetables that reflect the foraging diet they would eat in the wild.

ENRICHMENT

Enrichment is a tool our trainers use to encourage natural behaviors. There are a variety of types of enrichment that we may use to allow our ambassadors to engage in various natural behaviors. This can include introducing them to new sights and sounds or adding items into their enclosure to encourage behaviors like foraging, tearing, and shredding. If you notice things like newspaper or boxes in an enclosure, it's not trash, it's enrichment!

We use positive reinforcement training to provide exceptional welfare for all of our avian ambassadors. This form of training gives our ambassadors choice and control in their lives by rewarding (through treats!) desired behaviors.

Why do we train our avian ambassadors?  

• Through training, we can increase their comfort and decrease fear in human care. 
• Training allows ambassadors to be active participants in their care by teaching them to voluntarily weigh themselves, kennel themselves, and a variety of medical behaviors. 
• Training showcases natural behaviors to create defining moments for our guests. This allows visitors to connect to our avian ambassadors - the first step in developing a caring attitude towards nature.

Every avian ambassador is consistently monitored for changes in behavior or weight that may indicate changes in health. In addition, each ambassador regularly undergoes a health check where our team of dedicated staff and veterinarians perform a thorough physical. Our state-of-the-art facility has specialty tools to catch and treat any medical problems as they arise.

All of the birds on the Raptor Trail are permanent residents and would not be released for their own safety.

All of our avian ambassadors native to the U.S. were admitted to our Raptor Hospital or another licensed rehabilitation facility and were deemed non-releaseable. These birds had the qualities we look for to successfully fill the job of an avian ambassador.

Avian ambassadors native to countries outside the U.S. were hatched and reared in licensed facilities within the U.S. for the purpose of global conservation. These birds are reliant on humans and did not learn the skills needed to survive in the wild.