Carolina Raptor Center – See Eagles, Owls, Hawks and More!

Beautiful Birds of Prey at Carolina Raptor Center © Katrena

The Carolina Raptor Center, located within the Latta Plantation Nature Preserve in Huntersville, North Carolina, has been rehabilitating and caring for injured and orphaned raptors since 1975. In 2011 alone, 834 animals were seen at the center. By 2012, they have helped a total of more than 16,000 raptors that are often transported to the facility by volunteers.

Family-Friendly Activity Near Charlotte NC © Katrena

More than 70% of these birds are eventually released back into the wild if they survive the first 24 hours after being brought into the center. The Carolina Raptor Center has some permanent residents that would not be able to survive in the wild, and some of these beautiful creatures are also featured in presentations at the facility and/or off-site educational presentations at places like schools and libraries.

Raptor Rehab in Huntersville, NC © Katrena

The raptor center is conveniently located near I-77 and is close to Charlotte, Lake Norman, and Mooresville and offers visitors a chance to see more than 23 species of raptors. The area is nicely shaded with quite a few benches and picnic tables along the 3/4 mile trail. The trails have gravel with wooden bars to prevent erosion in areas, which can make it a bit more challenging if you have a family member riding in a wheelchair or stroller.

Community Support at Carolina Raptor Center © Katrena

Michele Houck, Community Relations Director of CRC Visits With Girls © Katrena

The people who are working at the center are quite friendly and helpful. Many are volunteers who might be helping in the gift shop, cleaning cages, or even handling the birds and providing educational programs or tours.

Great Volunteer Staff at Raptor Center © Katrena

Community Support of CRC © Katrena

We spoke to several volunteers and discovered that some have made the volunteer efforts into a family affair, working for years with their kids at their side. What a great way to teach about protecting our environment and provide a community service!

Learn About Barred Owls © Katrena

Learn About Barn Owls © Katrena

The hours and scheduled programs vary during the week and year. We had the opportunity to see the live bird presentation. Ann Bowen, a volunteer who has served the center for 14 years, did an great job showing owls and a hawk and providing a wealth of information about these amazing animals. She also does a really nice barred owl call!

Learn About Red-Tailed Hawks © Katrena

Most of the injured raptors have been hit by vehicles, and Ms. Bowen mentioned how litter on the highways attracts mice and other rodents. Even cigarette butts flicked out of a window could eventually lead to the demise of a majestic bird. The emphasis on environmental conservation and prevention of injuries in wildlife is prevalent throughout one's visit to the Carolina Raptor Center.

Learn How to Protect Wild Birds © Katrena

We learned about each animal in the live bird presentation, how it came to live at the center, and some interesting tidbits about that particular species, such as why barn owls might be the origin of many ghost stories and how to identify a red-tailed hawk from the front.

Black Vulture Feeding © Katrena

The vulture feeding followed shortly after the live bird presentation. The center features three different species of vultures in this area: black, king, and turkey. Most of the cages offer educational information, such as how to tell the difference between a turkey vulture and a black vulture by looking at their wings in flight.

Turkey Vultures © Katrena

Beautiful Colors of the King Vulture © Katrena

Trained volunteers fed the vultures within the cages and provided information about their eating habits and how birds can develop imprinting if fed by people at an early age. If this happens, the birds associate people with food and then become unable to survive in the wild. Young birds at the center that are orphaned or hatched may be fed by people, but the people feeding the birds will wear a disguise in the hopes that imprinting will be avoided.

Spectacled Owl © Katrena

Educational Program About Birds of Prey © Katrena

Talons: Birds of the World Flight Show was presented in the amphitheater. Plan to arrive several minutes early in order to see some other animals housed on the trail to the seating area. Tickets are limited, so it is a good idea to purchase those upon arrival to the center.

Birds of the World Flight Show © Katrena

Birds of Prey © Katrena

During the show, handlers brought out several owls and other raptors. Some flew from stage to perches that were located on the right and left of the stage while a few were sent above the stage. Several conservation measures were mentioned during the show as well.

Learn About Protecting Birds © Katrena

Castle-Themed Play Area at Carolina Raptor Center © Katrena

The vulture seemed to steal the flight show with its fun antics as it ambled down the aisle and seemed to enjoy the show as much as the audience! Always ready to play, my girls particularly liked the tower that housed a slide near the exit area after the show.

Fun Family Activity Near Lake Norman © Katrena

Guided Bird Tour © Katrena

The trail trivia tour was informative with Ann Bowen leading the group from cage to cage to learn more about the various raptors. She described quite a few of the hawks and owls. It was particularly interesting to hear personal stories of the various birds along the trail.

Hands-on Learning Opportunity at Raptor Center © Katrena

Self-Guided Educational Tour About Raptors © Katrena

Fun Ways to Learn About Birds © Katrena

The self-guided tour along the trail creates a large circle as visitors walk up to the large mews, or cages, that are spaced out along the trail. Several of them had interactive educational opportunities, and I particularly liked seeing how the eggs of some of the species looked. They had a nice variety of birds from America and other countries.

Ravens Enjoying the Attention © Katrena

The birds near the gift shop were quite animated when we visited. The pair of ravens looked almost as if they were playing leapfrog with one another and they were making a wide range of calls, almost similar to a mockingbird. My 10-year-old particularly liked the magpie. The African pied crow had a striking color combination of black and white.

Bald Eagle at Carolina Raptor Center © Katrena

Bald Eagles © Katrena

The bald eagles, America's national bird, were stunning. The Carolina Raptor center housed North Carolina's first baby bald eagle hatched in captivity. The bald eagles that are born at the center are reintroduced into the wild.

See Wild Birds © Katrena

My kids got a kick out of Edward in the osprey observation deck as the bird appeared to be dancing if I swayed from side to side. The permanent residents at the center are given names, and a few of the names end up being a bit comical. It can be very difficult to tell the gender of some birds. The center has done DNA testing on several of the raptors to discover that the name seems a bit odd because the guess on the gender was reversed!

Eagle Scout Projects © Katrena

The Carolina Raptor Center offers quite a few opportunities for internships and community service. I noticed that several boy scouts had provided various additions such as a stage and water area as part of an Eagle scout project. There were some interesting architectural details scattered throughout the center. My girls loved the stepping stones along the peace garden in particular.

Raptor Operation Game © Katrena

X-Rays of Wounded Birds © Katrena

Near the door of the gift shop is a table with a sort of raptor operation game. Various bird parts were labeled, and the kids could try their hand at "operating" on the birds. They also had the opportunity to see several x-rays of skeletal injuries along with information regarding how the injury occurred.

Learn About Birds © Katrena

Inside the gift shop was a fun little area where the kids could crawl into a sort of hollow tree. Visitors can become members and enjoy discounts and free admission for a year and extras like a free behind the scenes tour.

Learn How to Adopt a Bird at the Raptor Center © Katrena

People can also "adopt" a raptor for a year and will receive a packet about the adopted animal. Visitors may also sign up to see a raptor released back into the wild.

Carolina Raptor Center in North Carolina © Katrena

Overall, I thought the Carolina Raptor Center was a unique and personal place to learn about how to protect raptors and special identifying characteristics. We enjoyed having the opportunity to see quite a few of them up close. Knowing that the center is dedicated to trying to help these majestic animals to be reintroduced into their natural habitats is wonderful, and I hope they have many more success stories!

Fun Educational Activity Near Charlotte © Katrena

Find directions and additional information about the Carolina Raptor Center at their official web site. If your family loves animals, you might also like to read about the Lazy 5 Ranch. Find additional ideas for kid-friendly activities in North Carolina at the Travel NC With Kids site map.