Rock stars – Bald Eagles and Eurasian Eagle Owl to make the Alabama Wildlife Center a major destination for bird lovers

In the bird world they are “rock stars” – the Bald Eagle and the Eurasian Eagle Owl. The public loves them and people want to see them up-close.

Soon, bird lovers from all over the South and the country will get an opportunity to see our national symbol and the world’s largest owl up-close and personal at the Alabama Wildlife Center.

Yesterday, the Alabama Wildlife Center, which is located at Oak Mountain State Park announced plans to expand their facilities to house Bald Eagles and the Eurasian Eagle Owl, the largest species owl in the world.

The expansion will be made possible through partnerships with Shelby County and Oak Mountain State Park. The facility will include of a 90-foot-long enclosure, one-way viewing glass, a boardwalk to the center and educational exhibits.

“An up-close and personal encounter with a Bald Eagle, and the Eurasian Eagle Owl, is an amazing and unique experience. We are excited, at the Alabama Wildlife Center to be partnering with Shelby County and Oak Mountain State Park to make this incredible experience a reality,” stated, Alabama Wildlife Center Executive Director Doug Adair.

Adair and local bird advocates see the Alabama Wildlife Center as a prominent tourism destination – “a gateway” – for people from all walks of life to learn about birding and bird conservation.

In an interview with Bham Now, Alabama Birding Trail advocate and President of the Birmingham Audubon Society Joe Watts said, “We don’t have enough educational resources about birding. This will be a great addition.”

Watts also liked how the new expansion fits nicely with the Alabama Birding Trails, a popular state-wide initiative that has drawn avid bird watchers throughout the nation to Alabama.

“The response to this addition to AWC’s education programming has been incredibly positive, and this exhibit will be unique in Alabama. Nowhere else in our state, can these two extraordinary species be viewed together,” concluded the Wildlife Center’s Adair.