Raptors of the Desert Sky
Catch fun, engaging demonstrations at the Birds of Prey Center.
Seize this rare opportunity to get a close-up look at some of nature's fiercest predators - owls, hawks and eagles.
Click here for wildlife programs
Owlets of America’s Only Captive Breeding Northern Spotted Owls Leave Museum; Visit Owl Parents at the Museum
Owlets to help save controversial threatened species in
British Columbia; Owl parents, Polka and Dot, remain
here.
Two owlets born to America's only northern spotted owls to have
bred in captivity, Polka and Dot, left the Museum in February.
The chicks went to a breeding center in British Columbia to
help in efforts to save this controversial threatened species.
The owlets’ parents are still at the Museum, in their re-created forest habitat exhibit.
Since the chicks hatched last April, visitors have been
thrilled to watch these rare raptors, as Dot fed pieces of mice
and chicks to the owlets while Polka guarded them from a perch
a few feet above the nest.
Raptors will not breed in captivity unless they are completely
secure in their environment. The owlets are a testament to the
quality of the Museum’s wildlife program.
Their fertility is also are noteworthy because they are each
about 24 years old, and Dot hadn’t laid eggs for the last
two years. Spotted owls have been known to live as long as 31
years in captivity. They typically do not live beyond 20 years
in the wild.
Previously, the owls produced chicks at the Museum in 2003,
2004, and 2005. The U.S. Forest Service relocated those chicks
to wild “foster” nests in southwestern Oregon. This
year the owlets weren’t placed in wild nests because they
hatched earlier than those in the wild.
The male and female owlets went to the Mountain View Conservation and Breeding Centre in British Columbia, where they will be paired with other owls. Their chicks will be released to the wild.
The Porcupines and Fox Share Bird Habitats
Check out how our porcupines and fox are living harmoniously with birds of prey in outdoor habitats.
