• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Donate
Eagle Bluff

Eagle Bluff

Environmental Learning Center

  • About Us
    • Our Story
    • Our Staff & Board
    • Employment
    • Contact & Directions
    • Impact & Financials
  • Our Programs
    • New! Virtual After School Programs
    • Nature Preschool
    • Residential Outdoor School Program (K-12)
    • Summer & Family Camps
    • Environmental Education Fellowship
    • Undergraduate J-Term
    • Adult Learning & Continuing Education
    • Team Building Adventures
    • Wildlife Care & Public Outreach
  • Upcoming Events
    • Banquet on the Bluff Fundraiser
    • Dinner on the Bluff Speaker Series
    • Host Your Event, Meeting, or Retreat at Eagle Bluff
  • Explore Our Campus
    • Dining & Food Service
    • Lodging & Accommodations
    • Public Hiking Trails
    • Tree Tops High Ropes
    • Rock Climbing Wall
    • Discovery Center
    • The Point Conservation Project
    • Other Campus Highlights
    • Visit Us!
  • Resources
    • Information for Teachers and Group Leaders
    • Information for Outdoor School Parents and Students
    • Information for Outdoor School Chaperones
    • Outdoor School Classes and Curriculum
    • Gift Shop Price List ↪
    • About the Driftless Area
    • What to do if you find injured wildlife ↪
  • Ways to Give
  • DONATE

Wildlife Care & Public Outreach

Schedule an Outreach Program

Wildlife Care

Our Wildlife staff is dedicated to the care, training and educational programming of Eagle Bluff’s wild animal ambassadors. Our wild animals are a core part of our educational programming and can even be brought to you through our public outreach programming to teach outside groups about wildlife conservation.

All of our animals either have permanent injuries or other attributes that prevent them from surviving in the wild and on their own. Nevertheless, they are still wild animals, and as such, we never treat them like pets. Some birds have lived here for over ten years, and others have only recently arrived. They all have the important job of educating our visitors about conservation!

Meet Our Animals

Eagle Bluff utilizes four non-releasable birds of prey, as well as a skunk, 6 snakes, a turtle, and other reptiles and amphibians, to teach audiences about wild animals and their ecological roles. They convey their message to over 10,000 people each year!

Red-Tailed Hawk

Red-Tailed Hawk

Favorite Food: Rodent Heads

The Red-Tailed Hawk was our first education bird. She was hatched in the spring on 2000. During her first year, the hawk was hit by a car near Chicago, Illinois. Because the tip of her wing was too damaged, they amputated it, making full flight impossible. The Red-Tailed Hawk arrived at here at Eagle Bluff in March 2001.

Barred Owl

Barred Owl

Favorite Food: Small Rats

Our resident Barred Owl was hit by a car in December 2001 near Chicago, Illinois. The impact broke her right wing in several places. She also suffered head trauma, leaving her mostly blind in her left eye. She arrived here at Eagle Bluff in January 2003.

Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture

Favorite Food: Rat Tails

Our Turkey Vulture hatched in the spring of 2003. He was found by a person who thought he was abandoned, so they brought the vulture home with them to care for. Unfortunately, this caused the vulture to imprint on humans, meaning he prefers the company of humans more than his own species. He joined our raptor team in August 2011.

Striped Skunk

Striped Skunk

Favorite Food: Dog Kibbles

Our Striped Skunk came to Eagle Bluff in the fall of 2018 at 4 months old. She is the first mammal to join the animal education team. In order to ensure we were acquiring a healthy skunk, we went through USDA approved breeder based in Iowa. As of fall 2019, she has only been in a handful or programs, but we are hoping to increase her public appearances over the next school year.

FAQs

What do the birds eat?

Because the birds are all carnivores, we feed them a diet that consists of different meats. The five main foods that our birds eat are mice, small rats, large rats, quail, and day-old chicks. Occasionally, they are also given rabbit and squirrel. We order our food from different vendors, and it arrives already dead and frozen. Eagle Bluff staff are trained on how to prepare the food. Our five birds eat a total of 1,300 rodents and birds each year. Imagine how much food all of the wild raptors eat in one year!

Where do the birds live?

Eagle Bluff’s birds live in enclosures called mews. Each bird’s mew is designed to offer enough space for that bird to be able to fly around and look outside. Each mew also has a place the birds can go to avoid the rain, wind, and snow. The birds all have different types of perches to visit and explore. Because the birds spend most of their time in their mews, Eagle Bluff staff makes sure that everything stays in good condition. Safe perches help keep the birds healthy!

Do the birds get bored?

Because the birds spend much of their time in their mews, they can get bored if their handlers don’t provide enough for them to do all day long. That’s why the staff prepare enrichment plans for the birds each week. Enrichment might be training with a handler, going on a walk outside, a new food in their diet, or placing food into items such as dog toys or egg cartons. Without enrichment, birds can be quite destructive, both to their environments and themselves but by providing enrichment, their minds stay sharp and their bodies active.

Adopt an Animal!

Our animals require lots of care and attention, and you can help to make sure they receive it! By adopting an animal, you will provide our wildlife food, vet care, and toys to help keep their minds sharp.

Adopt an Animal

Public Outreach Programs

Raptors on the Road

We’ll bring our live birds for interactive learning designed to meet your needs with a focus on environmental awareness. Your audience will get the unforgettable experience of seeing raptors up close! For up to 250 people.

Starlab Planetarium

STARLAB is an inflatable planetarium showcasing 3,000 stars, as well as the constellations made of them.  Whether it’s telling the stories behind the stars or focusing on the stars of the seasons, multiple themes are offered. For up to 60 people.

Outreach programs details & costs
  • One hour program: $250 plus mileage (at IRS mileage rate) for locations over 30 miles away.
  • Each additional program is $100 (same day, same location.)
  • Starlab requires a >14′ foot ceiling and a 30′ x 30′ floor space.

Contact Us to Schedule an Outreach Program

You may also call and talk with our outreach coordinator at 507-467-2437.

Footer

Programs

Outdoor School

Events

Camps

Adult Learning

About Us

Our Team

Our Mission

Blog

Contact

info@eagle-bluff.org

(507) 467-2437

28097 Goodview Drive
Lanesboro, MN 55949

Connect

Join our mailing list:

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Copyright © 2021 · Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center · Log in