The Avian Reconditioning Center for Birds of Prey

The Avian Reconditioning Center for Birds of Prey Raptor conservation, education, rehabilitation, and falconry. Open on Saturdays, weather permitting. ARC receives no federal or state funding.
(343)

The Avian Reconditioning Center, or ARC, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit bird of prey rehabilitation and education facility in Apopka, FL sitting on 10 acres. Since 2001, ARC has realized its mission through dedication to raptor rehabilitation, education, research, and falconry, thereby increasing public awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of Florida’s magnificent raptors and the natural habitats in which they live. ARC helps raise nestlings with surrogate parents, rehabilitates injured raptors, releases raptors back to the wild, and provides a permanent home for those who would not survive on their own. We are open to the public on Saturdays, weather permitting. Our main public display area is our pavilion where our education birds are perched. Our volunteer handlers will gladly hold one of our education birds on the glove so you can view the bird up close! Flight demonstrations are held throughout the day, weather permitting. We also have an indoor classroom and library, and an indoor gift shop with restroom facilities.

Moose, the Mississippi kite, says the sun is out and we are open!Come visit us today from 10 AM to 4 PM (weather permitt...
09/12/2026

Moose, the Mississippi kite, says the sun is out and we are open!

Come visit us today from 10 AM to 4 PM (weather permitting; birds begin going home at 3 PM). Admission is $5 per person, and children ages 5 and under are free!

September 11, 2001 – September 11, 202625 Years. We will always remember. We will never forget.
09/11/2026

September 11, 2001 – September 11, 2026
25 Years. We will always remember. We will never forget.

How does a native plant garden help a little Eastern Screech-Owl like Barkley? It creates a critter buffet! 🪳🕷️🦗🐛These s...
09/08/2026

How does a native plant garden help a little Eastern Screech-Owl like Barkley? It creates a critter buffet! 🪳🕷️🦗🐛

These small owls are opportunistic hunters with a remarkably varied diet. Perched quietly on branches or fence posts, they scan the leaf litter and foliage below, listening for the faintest rustle of movement. They devour insects and invertebrates like beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, moths, spiders, and centipedes. Reptiles and amphibians are also on the menu, including anoles, frogs, and small snakes. They hunt small mammals such as mice, young rats, even bats, and will occasionally sneak up on small songbirds roosting at night.

Even a small suburban yard can become a thriving habitat for native wildlife. Visit us on September 19th from 10 AM to 3 PM for Wings, Wildflowers and Art in the Garden to meet our resident raptor ambassadors, learn about Florida's incredible birds of prey, and discover how native plants help them thrive! 🌿🦉🌺

Tomorrow is not only our first day back open after our August break, it's also International Vulture Awareness Day! Come...
09/04/2026

Tomorrow is not only our first day back open after our August break, it's also International Vulture Awareness Day! Come visit us and our resident black vulture, Lavinia, to learn all about these amazing birds.

Vultures might have a bad reputation for being gross (not true!) and eating carrion (true!), but vultures like Lavinia are incredibly important to the environment. They eat messy things, but vultures do a great job keeping themselves clean. They spend a lot of time preening and even enjoy taking baths. Lavinia loves a good bath and enjoys playing in the rain. After happily galloping around in a recent shower, she paused for a quick picture before starting her preening session!

Come visit us and meet Lavinia tomorrow between 10 AM and 4 PM (weather permitting; birds begin going home at 3 PM). Admission is $5 per person, and children ages five and under are free.

❤️ Thank you for supporting our mission to save and protect raptors! Thanks to your generous contributions, we raised ov...
09/02/2026

❤️ Thank you for supporting our mission to save and protect raptors! Thanks to your generous contributions, we raised over $1,200 at Hollerbach's German Meat Bingo to care for injured, orphaned, and ambassador birds of prey.

❤️ 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐤 to Hollerbach's German Restaurant and Bicikleta Bike Shop's Get Sanford Cycling for hosting The Avian Reconditioning Center for Birds of Prey at last night's German Meat Bingo!

Araés wants to know… How big is your wingspan?📆 Tuesday, September 1st (Tonight!)🦅 6:00 PM, meet Araés the Swallow-taile...
09/01/2026

Araés wants to know… How big is your wingspan?

📆 Tuesday, September 1st (Tonight!)
🦅 6:00 PM, meet Araés the Swallow-tailed Kite on the patio
🕡 6:30 PM, first bingo game begins inside
📍 Hollerbach's German Restaurant
💸 Bring cash to maximize your impact!

Bingo cards are $5 to play all night. Triple your chances of winning for $10 with triple decker bingo cards! Winners from each round take home meat generously donated by Hollerbach's German Market!

Raffle tickets are $5 for six or $20 for your wingspan of tickets! 50/50 cash raffle where the winner takes home half of the pot!

Hollerbach's Meat Bingo with the Avian Reconditioning Center

It’s that time of year again when we say goodbye to the swallow-tailed kites as they head south for their annual migrati...
08/29/2026

It’s that time of year again when we say goodbye to the swallow-tailed kites as they head south for their annual migration. If you’re anything like us at ARC, you’re already missing their incredible aerial maneuvers, striking silhouettes, and the excitement of shouting, “Kite, kite, kite!” whenever one flies overhead.

Missing them too? The good news is you can still see one up close in downtown Sanford this Tuesday! Our ambassador swallow-tailed kite, Araés, will be making a special "migration" to Hollerbach's German Restaurant for German Meat Bingo!

Araés came to ARC in the spring of 2022 after being found on the ground with two fractures in his right ulna. While the bones healed, the surrounding nerve and tissue damage left his right wing with a permanent droop. Though Araés can still manage brief flights, he isn't able to sustain the endurance required for a 10,000-mile annual migration.

📆 Tuesday, September 1st
🕕 6:00 PM (first bingo game starts around 6:30 PM)
📍 Hollerbach's German Restaurant
💸 Bring cash to maximize your impact!

Bingo cards are $5 to play all night. Triple your chances of winning for $10 with triple decker bingo cards! Winners from each round take home meat generously donated by Hollerbach's German Market!

Raffle tickets are $5 for six or $20 for your wingspan of tickets! 50/50 cash raffle where the winner takes home half of the pot!

Help Support the Avian Reconditioning Center!
Proceeds from bingo card and raffle ticket sales will benefit raptor care at the Avian Reconditioning Center (ARC), which includes food and medication. ARC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises orphaned nestlings with surrogate parents, rehabilitates injured raptors, releases healthy raptors back to the wild, and provides a permanent home for those who would not survive on their own.

08/27/2026

It’s no secret that owls have incredible hearing, but actually seeing one of their ears? That’s a whole different story.

Normally hidden beneath dense, fluffy feathers, Mrs. P., our barred owl, reveals her ear after thoroughly soaking herself during a bath. That large opening on the side of her head is actually her ear! Incredible, isn't it?

With keen eyesight and talons that act like precise tweezers grabbing insects right out of the air, the ambassador joini...
08/25/2026

With keen eyesight and talons that act like precise tweezers grabbing insects right out of the air, the ambassador joining us for German Meat Bingo is our Swallow-tailed Kite, Araés!

Come meet Araés and learn all about Swallow-tailed Kites on the patio before German Meat Bingo starts!

Hollerbach's Meat Bingo with the Avian Reconditioning Center
📆 Tuesday, September 1st
📍 Hollerbach's German Restaurant
🕕 6:00 PM (first bingo game starts around 6:30 PM)

💸 Bring cash to maximize your impact!

Bingo cards are $5 to play all night. Triple your chances of winning for $10 with triple decker bingo cards! Winners from each round take home meat generously donated by Hollerbach's German Market!

Raffle tickets are $5 for six or $20 for your wingspan of tickets! 50/50 cash raffle where the winner takes home half of the pot!

Lots of raptors eat insects, and we had some great guesses on Wednesday’s post!Some of the biggest insect lovers on our ...
08/21/2026

Lots of raptors eat insects, and we had some great guesses on Wednesday’s post!

Some of the biggest insect lovers on our card are Mississippi kites, swallow-tailed kites, American kestrels, and eastern screech-owls. But insects are also on the menu for plenty of others, including red-shouldered hawks, barred owls, and even crested caracaras!

For our next hint, it’s all in how they hunt: This raptor sticks strictly to the treetops and the sky, grabbing insects right out of the air with amazing precision!

Who do you think our special guest is? Let us know below!

Hollerbach's Meat Bingo with the Avian Reconditioning Center
September 1st - 6:00PM

Address

323 Lester Road
Apopka, FL
32712

Opening Hours

10am - 1pm

Telephone

+14074611056

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Avian Reconditioning Center for Birds of Prey posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share