Southeastern Raptor Center brings birds of prey to Edgewood Elementary

Edgewood Elementary's first and fifth grade students got to see some of Alabama's native birds of prey up close and personal on Tuesday.

Staff from the Southeastern Raptor Center, located in Auburn, came to Edgewood with seven of their resident educational birds to wrap up the first graders' science unit on birds of prey and the fifth graders' study of the ecosystem.

Fifth grade teacher Lora Haghighi and first grade teacher Ashley McCullars received a PTO grant to help pay for the visit.

"There's only so much a student can get out of a textbook," Haghighi said. "Having this kind of close contact is not something replicable anywhere else."

The Raptor Center staff showed off seven different species – screech owl, barn owl, great horned owl, red-tailed hawk, falcon, black vulture and bald eagle – and taught students about their characteristics, diet, habitat and more details. The students also got to watch the raptors show off their wingspan or calls.

All of the birds are permanent residents of the Raptor Center due to injuries that would leave them unable to survive in the wild. The bald eagle, Spirit, is a local celebrity since it has flown over Auburn's football stadium at games since 2002.

This is the first time the Raptor Center has visited Edgewood, though Haghighi said she hopes it won't be the last.

"I hope [students] take back with them an enthusiasm for science and animals," Haghighi said.