ASDM Raptor Flights Begin October 23, 2009 | AZPM

Story by Robert Rappaport

The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is again offering Raptor Free Flight Demonstrations, October 24 – Apr. 11, 2010.

At 10:30 a.m. each day, trainers will host two outside demonstrations, featuring a variety of hawks, falcon, owls, roadrunners and ravens. One of the most featured raptors is the Barn Owl, which can locate a mouse from 100 feet away in the dark. The Barn Owl has a keen sense of sight and hearing. It flies silently due to its feathers and has very sharp talons to swoop down and kill its prey.

Another daily show, at 1:45 p.m. will feature Harris Hawks, which work closely in familial groups to capture prey. The demonstration gives visitors a rare look at how a top predator survives in the desert and offers explanations of how the hawks solve conflicts with their own, such as females asserting dominance by pushing the smaller male birds of the tops of Saguaros.

For more information about admission prices and hours, visit the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Web site.