The Aviation Conservation Center and Center for Birds of Prey near Charleston, SC is a really cool experience and an exceptional place to visit if you love falcons, raptors, hawks, and owls. We checked them out on a recent trip and have all the details you need to plan your visit.
Thank you very much to the Center for Birds of Prey for hosting us so we could write this review. All opinions are our own.
A trip to the Center for Birds of Prey near Charleston, SC should definitely be on your list if you’re visiting the area. We absolutely loved our experience there and wish we could have stayed longer.
My daughters, ages 14 and 11, spent a couple of hours at the center learning about owls and raptors and getting to see these amazing birds up close. Here’s what you need to know to plan your own visit.
Watch! Flight Demonstrations at the Center for Birds of Prey
About the Aviation Conservation Center & Center for Birds of Prey
The Center for Birds of Prey and the Aviation Conservation Center are both part of the same facility but only the Center for the Birds of Prey is open to the public. The Aviation Conservation Center hosts a medical facility where experts care for injured birds, of which there are many in the area, mostly due to the roadside or fishing accidents. The social media of the center has many great rescue videos of their work. Currently, they care for between 800-1,000 patients per year. It’s a massive operation that is open 365 days a year.
The center is also a research and propagation facility. The captive breeding and release program is instrumental in helping vulnerable bird populations to recover. Conservation and education are key components of this facility.
The Center for Birds of Prey has about 100 birds that the public can see and sometimes interact with. There are walking trails about the center where guests can see the birds in their housing facilities. The flight demonstrations are a favorite activity for guests! It is through the ticket sales for this arm of the facility that pays for the research and medical side of the operations.
Flight Demonstrations
This was our favorite part of visiting the Center for the Birds of Prey. Even before the program began, we got to see owls and falcons up close with their handlers. It was so cool. I really love owls and am fascinated by falcons (thanks to My Side of the Mountain) so getting to see birds like this up close was amazing. They are so interesting and unique – how they hunt, fly, see, hear, and look. My kids joke with me that I’m getting old because I get excited when I see a hawk outside. They probably aren’t joking but whatever, I’m fine with it because these birds are super cool.
So the flight demonstration was amazing. There were five birds that came outside for us to see and learn about, including two owls! There’s an emcee who discusses what the center does and a little bit about the birds in residence. Then way behind her, you see another employee walking towards us in the outdoor amphitheater with a raptor flying behind her. It was quite the entrance.
The emcee asked for a volunteer and I was too slow in putting my hand up so another bird-lover got the job, which was to run and drag behind it a “rabbit” (a rolled up ball of carpet) on a rope. The raptor would chase down the rabbit and grab it. I was bummed I did not get this job but it was super cool to watch. That raptor swooped down on the carpet rabbit immediately and the volunteer got in some extra cardio.
There was a vulture up next, which I was not thrilled about because, honestly, who loves vultures? No one. But I was in for a surprise since I didn’t know that because their stomachs are highly acidic, they are able to eat animals that sometimes have harmful diseases, like rabies, which don’t affect them in the least. They are actually crucial to keeping diseases at bay that could harm us humans. I hate vultures less now.
Next up was a gorgeous owl that stared me down and then flew right above our heads in complete silence. I love owls. I had to do a research project in middle school on owls and from that moment on, I thought they were the coolest. The flight demo had two owls – a big one and a small, Burrowing Owl. The little one was adorable. It bounced around and made noises the whole time as it asked for food. It hopped in and out of the burrow on the ground and then decided to attack its handler on the head. She handled it well, this little aggressive owl. We all thought it was adorable.
The last bird we got to see was another kind of raptor that had a bell attached to his feet. He is specially trained as an educational bird and proceeded to swoop down and grab food from his handler’s fingers, which she held high above her head. The bird was so precise in grabbing the food with its claws that he didn’t touch the handler.
During the demonstration, we also got to witness a huge, bald eagle soaring above us in the open sky. Amazing!
The entire presentation was about an hour long and is included in your admission. It takes place Thursdays – Saturdays at 10:30 am so be sure to get there in time for it.
Other Things to See at the Center for Birds of Prey
The Center for Birds of Prey also offers a guided tour by their staff at 1:30 pm and an Owl Flight at 2 pm. I really wanted to see the owls again but we had to start the long drive home that day and could not stay for it.
There’s a small gift shop on site where you can purchase shirts, hats, key chains, and other items that help to support the center and their mission.
Be sure to visit their website before you go to see if they are offering any kinds of special programming. Photography workshops are also offered at the Center for Birds of Prey and field trips can be arranged. Contact the center directly for private group programs.
Things to Know Before You Go
Here are some things to make your visit even more enjoyable that you should know before you go.
- The entire facility except the bathrooms are outdoors. Dress accordingly.
- Bring water and bug spray. We went in November and the mosquitos were still out there.
- You can bring a stroller. The walking paths are all flat and a stroller will do fine along them.
- No pets are allowed.
Hours and Admission
The Center for Birds of Prey is open Thursdays – Saturdays from 10 am – 4 pm.
Flight demos are at 10:30 am, guided tours are at 1:30 pm, and Owls in Flight are at 2 pm.
Tickets are $25/adult, $17/youth, free for children under the age of three with a paying adult.
Center for Birds of Prey
4719 Highway 17N Awendaw, SC | 843.971.7474
Center for Birds of Prey Website | Center for Birds of Prey Facebook page
