Animal Educators Blog

Blog- 3/27/20

Daisy

Over the past several years, through our Bird of Prey Program, you may have met Larry and his wonderful Northern Goshawk, Daisy. Daisy has been a great asset to the Bird of Prey Program. It is with great sadness and hope that we share the announcement from Larry…

“Daisy is back in Dr. Meg Robinson’s breeding project for pure Northern Goshawks. She will be making chicks again this year and her pairing with Ivan produces some of the best N...

Have you ever heard of a Chicken-Hawk? If you live in the south, you probably have heard this reference before.

Rest assured there is actually no such thing as a chicken hawk. The Coopers Hawk or “Chicken Hawk” is probably the raptor which gave the Red-tail such a bad reputation, they will take chickens and other small birds whenever they have the opportunity. You see, a Coopers Hawk is an accipiter, these are bird-eating raptors and are quite fast. There are only 2 commonl...

Did you know, the American Kestrel is the smallest falcon in North America! Only weighing 100 to 150 grams, this falcon loves open county, farmland, cities, and wood edges. These miniature flying jets hunt smaller birds but may also prefer to eat large insects or small mammals!

When hunting they are known for hovering in the air until they find their prey. Their size is roughly that of a Mourning Dove, but a tad bit bigger. They are one of the few bird of prey species in which you can t...

Who-cooks-for-you? Who-cooks-for-you? Have you ever heard this hoot during dawn or dusk coming from the woods or a tree near your home? If so, chances are you’ve heard a Barred Owl! At Allison Woods, we hear this often from Jack, one of our Animal Educators!

Jack, like our other birds of prey, was deemed non-releasable due to being hit by a car resulting in severe damage to his right eye. This is a common injury in local birds of prey, as people throw trash and other materials ou...

Have you ever been riding down the road and notice a rather large bird sitting on a powerline or in the top of an old tree? Chances are you've seen either a Red-tailed or Red-shouldered Hawk! Here at Allison Woods Outdoor Learning Center, one of our Animal Educators, Gracie-Rose is a Red-tailed Hawk! Gracie-Rose assists us in teaching students about ecosystems, food chains, and more!

Did you know, Red-tail and Red-shoulder Hawks are very similar! The biggest way to tell a difference is ...

If you haven't been introduced yet, meet Ruby, our Eastern Screech Owl. 

Ruby's journey to us began in 2017. Ruby, like many other Birds of Prey, was unfortunately hit by a car and left with injuries. After a lengthy stay at a rehabilitation center, Ruby was deemed non-releaseable due to blindness in her left eye. She is unable to be released back into the ...

Is it a Turtle that looks like a dog? Or a dog that looks like a turtle? What is a Turtle Dog? 

The most popular question we get here at Allison Woods Outdoor Learning Center is, What is a Turtle Dog? And Why have such an animal? Well, the answer is simple, no it is not a turtle that looks like a dog, or a dog that looks like a turtle. They are simply dogs that look for turtles! We have 3 Boykin Spaniels trained to find the Eastern Box Turtles for research purposes! 

The...

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