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Valkyrie, bald eagle, at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Xtreme Raptor Day draws record-breaking crowd to Schlitz Audubon Nature Center!

November 16, 2025  |  Topics: Events, Places

By Eddee Daniel

When was the last time you were two or three feet away from an uncaged raptor? On Saturday, Nov 8, over 1,350 people flocked to Schlitz Audubon Nature Center for an opportunity to experience just that. It was the largest turnout ever for the annual event known as Xtreme Raptor Day. In a follow-up email Lindsay Focht, Raptor Program Director, said “We were blown away with the response of so many people braving the wintry temperatures to come out and celebrate raptors with us.”

Willow, a northern saw-whet owl, the center's smallest resident bird by weight at 3.5 ounces.
Willow, a northern saw-whet owl, the center’s smallest resident bird, by weight at 3.5, ounces; non-releasable due to a wing injury.

Raptors, of course, are birds of prey. They are known for, among other things, having sharp eyesight (“eagle eyes”) and sharp talons. I had to wonder, when one was staring straight at me from three feet away, whether it was examining the pores on my face. If they can spot a mouse in grass from high in the sky, just imagine what they can observe up close! Many of them also have extraordinarily acute hearing.

Volunteer Maureen with Zari, a great horned owl who was imprinted on humans as a fledgling. Great horned owls have the strongest grip strength of all North American owl species; they can take down prey as large as a raccoon. 
Volunteer Maureen with Zari, a great horned owl who was imprinted on humans as a fledgling. Great horned owls have the strongest grip strength of all North American owl species; they can take down prey as large as a raccoon. 

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center calls its birds “raptor ambassadors.” It currently has sixteen resident birds, including hawks, owls, falcons, eagles and two that are not raptors: a turkey vulture and an American crow. They range in size from huge—an eleven-pound eagle—to tiny—a three-and-a-half-ounce owl. All live at the center full-time because they are, for a variety of reasons, non-releasable. Among the reasons are diverse injuries and being raised from an early age among humans. Whatever the reason, the resident birds would not survive in the wild if released.

Atlas, a red-shouldered hawk who was hit by a car. Red-shouldered hawks are threatened in the state of Wisconsin.

In return for the love and care that they receive at the center the raptor ambassadors help educate the public about raptor ecology and the importance of wildlife and habitat conservation, as well as the dangers that raptors—and their prey—face in our increasingly humanized environments. Altogether they participate in 350 educational programs per year, traveling throughout the state to classrooms, libraries, museums, and outdoor events like the Wisconsin State Fair. Valkyrie, the famous bald eagle, recently appeared during the National Anthem at Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks games.

Valkyrie (background, next to box), the largest resident bird, draws a crowd during a special bald eagle Meet & Greet.
Valkyrie (background, on handler’s arm next to box), the largest resident bird, draws a crowd during a special bald eagle Meet & Greet. (Also featured at top of page.)
The raptors are uncaged but not untethered. Here Valkyrie takes off from her handler's arm, landing on the ground a few feet away.
The raptors are uncaged but not untethered. Here Valkyrie takes off from her handler’s arm, landing on the ground a few feet away.

While Xtreme Raptor Day is primarily an opportunity to visit with the birds at outdoor stations located around the property, there were other activities too. Here is Lindsay Focht again:

“Different areas around the property allowed visitors to dive deeper into the lives of Raptors. At our Conservation Station, guests learned about bird research and the values of banding, as well as the essential work of Wildlife Rehabilitators. Raptor Lab offered science experiments to spark further curiosity about flight, feathers, and eggs. This year, we launched a new area called “Owl Cove” which further explored the mysterious lives of owls through camouflage, pellet dissection, and the important functions of nest boxes.”

A chalk-drawing station outside the education center.
A chalk-drawing station outside the education center.
A craft table at “Owl Cove.”
A girl compares her own "wingspan" with that of a turkey vulture.
A girl compares her own “wingspan” with that of a turkey vulture.

As always, the schedule also included demonstrations in the outdoor amphitheater. This year the lineup included three performers: veterans Athena the owl and Loki the crow, along with a newcomer. Focht says, “Our new turkey vulture, Darwin, made his Xtreme debut, greeting everyone at the amphitheater for our three shows. It was a great way to introduce him to the event and a space where he will be doing flight demonstrations in the future.” Although Darwin didn’t fly this time, he did show off his impressive 70-inch wingspan and his, as Focht put it, “beautiful” bald head.

Darwin, the turkey vulture, who was imprinted on humans as a hatchling. The acid in a turkey vulture's stomach is 100 times stronger than in humans, which enables them to eat anything!
Darwin, the turkey vulture, who was imprinted on humans as a hatchling. The acid in a turkey vulture’s stomach is 100 times stronger than in humans, which enables them to eat anything!
Erin with Athena, a barn owl, during the presentation. Although common elsewhere, barn owls are extremely rare in Wisconsin.
Erin with Athena, a barn owl, during the presentation. Although common elsewhere, barn owls are extremely rare in Wisconsin. Only one nesting pair is known to be in the wild in the state.

The real show off, typically, was Loki the crow. Dubbed “Crow-casso,” he dutifully grabbed a paint-loaded brush from Focht and applied it to a primed canvas over and over, producing an abstract work of avian-expressionist art.

Raptor Program Director Lindsay Focht with Loki, aka "Crow-casso," and his avian-expressionist painting.
Raptor Program Director Lindsay Focht with Loki, aka “Crow-casso,” and his avian-expressionist painting.

I managed to see and photograph fourteen of the sixteen resident birds during the event, which took quite a while because the birds were not all out at once. Timing my circuits of the stations in order to catch them all, while also catching other timed activities, was a bit tricky. Afterwards, I wandered around the rest of the 185-acre property. It’s enough space to get away from even the record-breaking crowds on Xtreme Raptor Day 2025.

Father and daughter skipping along the boardwalk at Mystery Lake.
Father and daughter skipping along the boardwalk at Mystery Lake.
A trio of teens find solitude on the beach.
A trio of teens find solitude on the beach.
“Catch me if you can!”
The Dragonfly Pond boardwalk.
The Dragonfly Pond boardwalk.

“To me, the biggest joy from the entire event comes from the energy of the guests and providing close encounters with our raptor ambassadors. The curiosity and excitement around birds is palpable and we are very grateful to be able to provide this experience to the community. Throughout the year, our Raptor Ambassadors educate the public about birds, raptor ecology, and conservation — they are truly the stars of the show.” ~ Lindsay Focht

Baron von Screech, a gray eastern screech owl, whose eye was damaged in a collision with a car.
Gimli, a red eastern screech owl, with a similar story.
Gimli, a red eastern screech owl, with a similar story.
Otis, a peregrine falcon, stares suspiciously at Michael wearing a baseball cap. Michael took off the cap and Otis relaxed. Michael explained that the cap's bill made him look like a rival raptor.
Otis, a peregrine falcon, stares suspiciously at Michael wearing a baseball cap. Michael took off the cap and Otis relaxed. Michael explained that the cap’s bill made him look like a rival raptor.
Nicco, a broad-winged hawk, whose name translates to “victory,” given to him after he survived an automobile collision.
Nicco, a broad-winged hawk, whose name translates to “victory,” given to him after he survived an automobile collision.
Perseus, a barred owl, fell from the nest as a nestling and was handled too much by humans to return to the wild.
Perseus, a barred owl, fell from the nest as a nestling and was handled too much by humans to return to the wild.
Face-off! Sky Walker, a red-tailed hawk, the most common raptor in Wisconsin.
Face-off! Sky Walker, a red-tailed hawk, the most common raptor in Wisconsin.
Volunteer Ann and saw-whet owl Willow seem to be having a falling out.
Saxon, an American kestrel, the smallest falcon in North America. American kestrels are unique in the raptor world. They can hover in flight and are sexually dichromatic, meaning that males and females have different colored plumage.

For more information about Schlitz Audubon Nature Center go to our Find-a-Park page.

Related stories:

Raptors get top billing at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Photo essay: A misty morning at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Xtreme Raptor Day 2021 at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Touring Schlitz Audubon Nature Center with the Sierra Club

Touring Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area with Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Eddee Daniel, writer/photographer, is a member of Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, a board member of Preserve Our Parks, the Project Director of A Wealth of Nature, and editor of The Natural Realm blog. Read more or subscribe at awealthofnature.org. Also available by arrangement for group presentations and guided tours.

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center is a project partner of A Wealth of Nature.

About Preserve Our Parks

Preserve Our Parks, Inc. is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of parks and green spaces.  Our mission: To advocate for and promote Milwaukee area parks and open spaces and to strive to protect the tenets of Wisconsin’s Public Trust Doctrine. 

For more than 25 years, we have been a leader in advocating for the protection of Milwaukee County park lands, halting many proposals to develop, privatize, or sell local parkland and lakefront spaces.  More information about POP, including past accomplishments, is available at www.preserveourparks.org.

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