Sonoran Raptors

Soaring high above the Sonoran Desert, raptors scour the landscape below, looking for their next meal. With their large talons and sharp, hooked beaks, these amazing winged hunters capture and eat live prey.

The family of dynamic, feathered carnivores includes the Ferruginous Hawk, who, with its wide mouth, loves to dine on prairie dogs. The Common Barn Owl is a nocturnal raptor that flies silently through the night, using its acute sense of hearing to locate prey. Unlike other raptors, Harris Hawks hunt and live in family groups of three to seven hawks.

Now through March 2007, visitors to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson can see these fascinating birds in action. The Raptor Free Flight demonstrations showcase the nature of raptors in their desert element. Raptor Encounters is a two-hour, behind-the-scenes visit with the birds and their trainer. For more information, visit www.desertmuseum.org or call 520-883-2702.