A unique part of returning to my home country, after being away for so long, is feeling like a tourist. There is a special place that I have never been to, but always wanted to see. Come with me and two of my children, to explore The Raptors, a haven for amazing birds of prey on Vancouver Island.
Getting There & Tickets
Located at 1877 Herd Road, the sanctuary is an 11-acre property in the countryside near Duncan, BC. Coming from Victoria or Nanaimo, the scenic drive will take approximately one hour.
General admission for adults is $25 each. That includes a flight demonstration and access to follow the paths and see the other birds on the property. Visitors can pay considerably more for a one-on-one experience with a biologist and bird of prey. At the site there is ample free parking, public toilets and a gift shop. There is no food or drink available.
Brief History
The Raptors first opened its doors in 2003. For the past 22 years, it has been home to eagles, hawks, owls, falcons and more. These birds have all been rehabilitated at various other facilities and brought here for educational purposes. For one reason or another, they cannot be released into the wild. This is their home and it sure is a beautiful one. At any given time, there are around 120 birds here, mostly apex birds of prey.
Flight Demonstrations
The most amazing experience at The Raptors has to be the flight demonstrations. At scheduled times throughout the day, four birds are featured. The day we visited, this included a bald eagle, owl, vulture and hawk. Walking towards the rear of the facility, you will arrive at rows of wooden benches. Take a seat behind the small grassy area. Sit in the front row near the tree posts, for an excellent spot to take photographs as the birds will land a take flight from these.
Sit in the middle row to experience the birds flying right over your head, swooping past through the crowds and even hitting you with their wings! The back row gets the best of both worlds as there are posts right behind this row.
The Flight Birds
As each bird is brought into the space, the handler speaks about its amazing features. Did you know that an owl perched above a football field, can hear all the spectators’ hearts beating?
An adult bald eagle, like the one photographed here, weighs a mere 6-7 pounds! Its such a huge bird, but its bones and wings are all hollow, allowing it to remain light enough to soar through the skies.
This magnificent and huge vulture, like many others of its species, are usually thought of as an ugly bird. Their heads covered in this wrinkly and bare skin instead of feathers. That’s because they feed on carrion, the dead carcasses of animals. Digging their heads deep into the guts, it is a necessary feature to have a bald head that nothing will stick to.
And this beautiful brown hawk. Imagine seeing it catch a piece of meat in mid air! The dexterity, focus and skill as it maneuvers for this feat is truly extraordinary to see right before your eyes.
Caged Birds
Follow the paths around the facility to see the other caged birds. There is a section for owls, vultures, eagles, falcons and hawks.
Towards one end is a special place for parrots! About a decade ago, a large sanctuary full of parrots from around the world, had to close its doors as the owner had passed away. The Raptors agreed to take in a handful of these and visitors can see them and listen to a talk about their lives.
But the most unique caged bird here? A Marabou stork. I never like to think of an animal as ugly, but this fella, I’m so sorry to say, will not be winning any beauty contests. Quite likely the most grotesque bird I have ever seen, I couldn’t believe I had never heard of this guy before now.
He has the largest wingspan of any bird, the average is 8 feet, the widest measured at a whopping 12 feet! His bald head is covered in crusty and bleeding sores, a natural state of being for him. Under his large and thick beak, hangs a flesh covered hairy inflatable sack used in courtship. Those beady eyes, flittering about and staring at you while you inspect his dinosaur like toes are creepy!
If you are looking for an education on birds of prey this is the place to be. What a magnificent experience, one I will not soon forget. The staff are friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. The facility clean and feeling one with the natural surroundings. I highly recommend The Raptors for visitors of all ages; it is truly a unique way to see and learn about these incredible apex predators.
