Meet our Avian Ambassadors – Our Education Birds

Our education birds give visitors a rare chance to go face-to-face with animals that are most often seen far in the distance or high in the sky. Close up, you can observe the intricate pattern of feathers, the impressive size of their talons, and the lively glint in the eyes of these beautiful birds of prey.

Our education birds cannot be released to the wild due to injuries or other problems.
The World Center for Birds of Prey is not a rehabilitation facility for injured birds. Some rehabilitators have donated birds that are imprinted on humans (too accustomed or reliant on people to be returned to the wild) or if the birds have handicaps that make them non-releasable.
We have given our birds names to help us keep track of them, but they are not pets. Though the close bond between the birds and their handlers is obvious, we care for them and train them in ways that best preserve their wild characteristics.

We invite you to visit our birds at the World Center for Birds of Prey.You may view our schedule of daily live bird presentations or take a behind-the-scenes tour for a more in-depth look at the care and training of our avian ambassadors.

Stoffel

Bateleur

Hatched in 1965, Stoffel is the “old man” of the education birds. A native of South Africa, he was about a year old when he was given to Peregrine Fund founder Tom Cade. Stoffel is imprinted on humans and cannot live in the wild.

Stoffel lives in an enclosure outdoors where he often vocalizes loudly at visitors while puffing up his chest feathers and spreading his wings. Some of our educators, though not all, have been able to gain his trust and get close enough to scratch the back of his neck, a bonding activity Bataleur pairs display in the wild.