Raptor Academy


Raptor Academy courses are designed to provide professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to improve the welfare of raptor ambassadors through training.  

For questions about the classes or registration please contact us at: [email protected]


The Raptor Husbandry and Care Seminar includes five consecutive webinar classes that occur once a week. Each class is 90 minutes long, followed by a question-and-answer session. In the 5th week of the course, Raptor Center instructors will moderate a 45-minute Q&A session.  

DETAILS:
  • This seminar series is offered in four 90-minute sessions and one 45-minute discussion panel. 
  • For those that are not able to attend the live class, participants will receive a recording of every class. 
  • Class sizes are limited in size to enhance the opportunity for questions and discussion. 
  • CEUs are available for IATCB. Please contact us for more information. 

**Group rates are available for groups with 3 or more people.  For more information, please email us**  

Spring 2024 course:

Raptor Training Course: March 2024

Tuition: $250 

Classes held each Tuesday from 4:00-5:30pm EST 

  • March 5th
  • March 12th
  • March 19th
  • March 26th
  • April 2nd
Topics:
  • Raptor Wellness - The health and well-being of ambassador raptors is top priority. We will discuss preventative care, physical exams, common conditions and our recommended diagnostics and handling techniques.
  • Beaks and Nutrition - Raptors require specialized care in regard to beak health and nutrition.  This class will help participants identify beak overgrowth, review basics of beak anatomy and build the skills and confidence to successfully cope and maintain raptor beaks. We will also explore raptor nutrition, diet, and food preparation.
  • Feet and Equipment - This class will cover the topics of raptor foot health, perching, and equipment. We will discuss different perching styles, what wear in different locations of the foot can mean for the birds current perching, and the stages of bumblefoot. We will also cover how to make, put on, and signs for when you should replace equipment, as well as what birds are not suited for it. 
  • Assessing Welfare - This course will discuss specific cases in which identifying subtle behavior changes in ambassador birds has allowed us to catch medical problems early. We will also discuss why animals hide illnesses, how to establish what is ‘normal’ for your collection, and how to evaluate welfare throughout a bird’s life.
  • Panel Discussion - In this 45-minute session, our instructors will answer any questions you may have regarding the topics and birds at your facility, as well as elaborate on the subjects taught throughout this course.

Class sizes are limited in size to enhance the opportunity for questions and discussion.  For this reason, there will be no refunds within 14 days of the first class. 


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