BY KADIE VICK
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — The Auburn University Raptor Center will host its annual Wing Fling event on April 11 at 4 p.m. Those who wish to attend should pre-purchase tickets online.
Amanda Sweeney, assistant director for raptor training and education, said the Wing Fling will feature up-close experiences with several birds of prey, including owls, hawks, falcons, vultures and eagles.
“We have an hour-long presentation where these birds are brought close to the guests,” Sweeney said. “Guests are treated to a close look, as well as having them fly right over their head.”
Many people see raptors like Vultures on a regular basis but do not know the value they bring to the ecosystem. Wing Fling allows participants to experience how birds of prey behave as they would in the wild and to learn important information about them.
“It’s an educational presentation, but it is also meant to be very engaging and exciting, especially having these birds do what they do naturally flying, showing off their natural behaviors right in front of the audience,” said Sweeney.
The Raptor Center aspires to educate the community on the importance of protecting raptors.
“Our mission is for people to gain a deeper appreciation for these incredible birds and the ecosystems they represent,” she said. “Shows like Wing Fling allow us to spark curiosity, teach conservation and ideally inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.”
Sweeney said raptors are often misunderstood, and the Auburn Raptor Center helps by building understanding.
“I wish people understood the critical role that Raptors play in ecosystems,” she said. “They help control the rodent population, they serve as indicators of environmental health and they face many threats from man-made causes, whether that’s habitat loss, indirect poisoning or different human activity.”
The Raptor Center hopes that by educating the public on what human activities harm them, there will be fewer injured birds.
Sweeney was the trainer for the current Auburn Eagle Flight bird named Independence and said her favorite memory working for the Raptor Center was Independence’s first Auburn gameday flight.
“I’m watching her, and I’m in too much awe watching her circle the stadium,” she said. “It was a very long flight, and I had to remind myself that it was my job to go run out and call her down. I was so proud of her, and all of our training and all the work that went into that.”
To pre-register for Wing Fling and learn more about what’s going on at the Raptor Center, visit the website www.vetmed.auburn.edu/raptor.
