Birds of Prey: Living the high life
The four raptor species in the Birds of Prey exhibit are notable for their keen eyesight, their flying skills, and their unique hunting abilities. The Zoo has high hopes for each of these rare pairs, which the Andean condors and harpy eagles are already fulfilling. They have not only hatched a number of chicks but also had some of their young reintroduced to the wild. Ornate hawk-eagles are the smallest birds in this exhibit and its newest residents. We have high hopes for them, as well.
The fourth species represented here it the Steller’s sea-eagle, a dark, impressive bird that is the largest of all sea-eagle species and the heaviest known of all eagles. The San Diego Zoo and Natural Research, Ltd. are studying the movements of young Steller’s sea-eagles in their native habitat in Russia in hopes of protecting the species in the wild.
A wide bridge takes visitors close to the birds’ enclosures. Each aviary provides lots of vegetation as well as rocky cliffs for perching and privacy. Some of the perches are close to the bridge, and you just might get a chance for an eye-to-eye encounter. We hope that seeing these amazing raptors up close will encourage visitors to participate in the conservation of this rare species.
