Coaldale, Alberta How often do you have the chance to have a golden eagle on your shoulder! We got the opportunity to do just that this summer and it was pretty amazing!
We visited Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation. They take in injured birds of prey with the goal to rehabilitate them and release them to the wild again. It was an very rewarding visit – you get close up to bald eagles, golden eagles, owls and much more. The golden eagle above was named Lincoln. When we visited they also had the most adorable 4 days old baby owl in their center.
They have flying demonstration multiple times per day. This is how the birds get their daily exercise. It is fantastic to see these magnificent bird fly so close to you. And I got some great pictures!
Did you know bald eagles do not get their white head before their turn 4-5 years? The eagle in the flying demonstration below if a younger bald eagle.
After the flying demonstration we got the change to stroke and hold one of the golden eagles. This eagle is called Spirit and is blind and will never leave the centre. I was wondering if it would not be stressful for the bird to be stroked and hold by people, but the instructor informed that it was actually good for the eagle to get some interaction with humans as this kept the bird stimulated.
Someone even got a little wing action going! It was an amazing visit, and the admission fee keeps the facility running, together with all the duck food you can purchase to feed the local ducks! They where quite popular among the youngest! The centre is located about 2 hours south of Calgary – if you are close by I would highly recommend visiting.
Do you have an amazing bird encounter?
Thanks for visiting – you comments are much appreciated!
Adventure 69°North 
Reblogged this on exploRVistas and commented:
In my working days, I used to walk at an outdoor center in Holland Michigan. They have a birds of prey section with bald eagles, owls, hawks and one very majestic golden eagle. I was mesmerized by it. That is one amazing experience you had!
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Sorry…didn’t mean to reblog! I hit the wrong button!
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What an amazing experience! Birds of prey look big up in the sky, but when I look at the photo of one next to a person, they are huge, especially that wing span!!
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Yes it sure was! They are quite impressive when you get up close! 🙂
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I went to Canmore for this event last year. Enjoyed it. I also went to a similar event a few years ago up at Whistler, BC.
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I didn’t know they had a bird of prey event in Canmore. Is it something they have every year or was it just a one time event? I would love to go if it is something they arrange every year.
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I’ve always had a fondness for owls. There is a family of them across the river from my house. Recently one of the young ones found itself lost in my neighbours yard. It was precious and did not seem afraid of us. We contacted a local Birds of Prey group who advised us to leave it where we found it and the parents should return for it. They did but I got some photos and a post out of it all. If you are interested in our little visitor, please check out the post. https://foundinfrance.wordpress.com/2015/05/07/petit-hibou-petit-chouette-little-owl/
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Owls are very beautiful birds so I can definitely understand you passion. They had several burrowing owls on the centre when we visited, first time I hear of owls living in burrows! I thought they were all up in the trees, guess you learn something new every day. I’ll have to check out you post. Thanks for stopping by and for taking the time to leave a comment Léa.
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I hadn’t heard of burrowing owls. Interesting. Thank you for stopping by and for commenting.
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