Harris Hawk at Raptor Ranch (Yabba-Dabba-Doo!)
Valle, AZ - Sun, 13 Sep 2020, 1pm
After an impromptu bird show at Raptor Ranch in the tiny town of Valle, AZ, we settled in for the official bird show. This exhibit featured a Harris hawk trained to fliy between different perches, often passing within inches of spectators' heads.
Harris hawks are native to the desert southwest of the US. In the wild you may see them perching atop saguaro cacti, the tallest plants in the desert. The skin on their talons is extra tough as an adaptation to perching on that needle-y plant.
Harris hawks are sometimes called "sky wolves". They are the one species of birds of prey that naturally employs group hunting tactics, like a wolf pack. As many as 5 or 8 related birds will hunt together to capture larger, wilier prey.
By the way, when I mentioned in my previous blog that I ate my lunch at a Flintstones-themed picnic table, here's a look at the sort of thing I'm talking about:
Yes, the Raptor Ranch is also a Flintstones theme park. Except they can't call it "Flintstones" for trademark reasons. I'm surprised they can get away with the likeness of Fred Flintstone. Or even "Yabba-Dabba-Doo"... isn't that copyrighted? 😒
After seeing the birds we wandered around the Bedrock town. I'm not sure why... usually this is the sort of tacky, kitschy, touristy crap that gives us hives. I guess we needed a longer break from the road.
After an impromptu bird show at Raptor Ranch in the tiny town of Valle, AZ, we settled in for the official bird show. This exhibit featured a Harris hawk trained to fliy between different perches, often passing within inches of spectators' heads.
Harris hawks are native to the desert southwest of the US. In the wild you may see them perching atop saguaro cacti, the tallest plants in the desert. The skin on their talons is extra tough as an adaptation to perching on that needle-y plant.
Harris hawks are sometimes called "sky wolves". They are the one species of birds of prey that naturally employs group hunting tactics, like a wolf pack. As many as 5 or 8 related birds will hunt together to capture larger, wilier prey.
By the way, when I mentioned in my previous blog that I ate my lunch at a Flintstones-themed picnic table, here's a look at the sort of thing I'm talking about:
Yes, the Raptor Ranch is also a Flintstones theme park. Except they can't call it "Flintstones" for trademark reasons. I'm surprised they can get away with the likeness of Fred Flintstone. Or even "Yabba-Dabba-Doo"... isn't that copyrighted? 😒
After seeing the birds we wandered around the Bedrock town. I'm not sure why... usually this is the sort of tacky, kitschy, touristy crap that gives us hives. I guess we needed a longer break from the road.