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.
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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 w

hich 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.

When it gets as hot outside as it has been lately, Ike, our bald eagle, says the best way to cool down is with a nice ba...
06/12/2026

When it gets as hot outside as it has been lately, Ike, our bald eagle, says the best way to cool down is with a nice bath! 🦅
We will be open tomorrow for our summer hours from 10 AM to 1 PM. Come on out and see us! Admission is $5 per person, and children ages 5 and under are free.

06/10/2026

Our great-horned owl ambassador, Wedge, visited the News 6 studio today for an interview! Check it out!

My, what big talons you have, Ike! As you can see in the picture, bald eagles have massive feet and completely bare lowe...
06/09/2026

My, what big talons you have, Ike! As you can see in the picture, bald eagles have massive feet and completely bare lower legs. There is an evolutionary reason why they don't have feathers extending all the way down their legs like a golden eagle.

Bald eagles are classified as sea, or fish, eagles. Their scientific genus, Haliaeetus, translates directly to "sea eagle." Golden eagles, on the other hand, belong to the genus Aquila, which comprises the "true eagles." These are often called "booted eagles" because they have feathers covering the leg all the way over the toes.

In bald eagles, the lower leg (tarsus) is completely bare, bright yellow, and covered in rough, scaled skin. This lack of feathering is a brilliant adaptation for fishing. When they dip their feet into the water to grab a fishy meal, the bare, unfeathered skin allows them to dry off quickly, preventing them from being soaked and weighed down by wet plumage.

Remember, our summer hours officially start tomorrow! We will be open from 10 AM to 1 PM (weather permitting). Come out ...
06/05/2026

Remember, our summer hours officially start tomorrow! We will be open from 10 AM to 1 PM (weather permitting). Come out and see Oakley, our eastern screech owl, and all of our other amazing birds of prey! Admission is $5 per person, and children 5 and under are free.

The date June 20th, 1782, holds great significance for both the United States and the bald eagle. Do you know why?On thi...
06/04/2026

The date June 20th, 1782, holds great significance for both the United States and the bald eagle. Do you know why?

On this day, the Continental Congress officially adopted the design for the Great Seal of the United States, featuring the bald eagle as its central figure. The final decision to choose the bald eagle took multiple committees and several years to complete. In fact, the earliest designs didn’t include eagles at all!

In honor of this historic adoption, we now celebrate American Eagle Day on June 20th. It’s also a day to raise awareness and celebrate the incredible comeback of bald eagles after their devastating population decline in the mid-20th century.

We’ll be celebrating bald eagles right here at ARC on June 20th from 10 AM to 1 PM with our bald eagle ambassadors, Isaiah (Ike) and Max! We’ll also be sharing more fascinating bald eagle facts over the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned!

One of our long-time volunteers, Rachel, used her amazing creative talents to make beautiful, handmade wooden nameplates...
06/02/2026

One of our long-time volunteers, Rachel, used her amazing creative talents to make beautiful, handmade wooden nameplates for our ambassador bird mews! Some feature species silhouettes, while our fish-eating residents (like our eagle and osprey) got fun, cute fish carvings!

Here are some pictures of the ones that are already on display (I think Max was hoping his was a real fish!), and she's already hard at work making more. Thank you, Rachel!

Earlier today, it was all blue skies and fluffy clouds—perfect weather, according to Mrs. P, for sitting on the glove! W...
05/29/2026

Earlier today, it was all blue skies and fluffy clouds—perfect weather, according to Mrs. P, for sitting on the glove! While tomorrow's forecast calls for showers, we know how unpredictable Florida weather can be. We'll be keeping a close eye on the skies and will post updates if anything changes.

For now, we plan to be open tomorrow from 10 AM to 4 PM. This is our very last weekend of regular hours before we switch to our summer schedule (10 AM to 1 PM for June and July), so come on out and see our amazing ambassadors! Admission is $5 per person, and children 5 and under are free.

Last week, we took a look back at some of our educational ambassadors to see how much they’ve grown since arriving as ne...
05/28/2026

Last week, we took a look back at some of our educational ambassadors to see how much they’ve grown since arriving as nestlings and fledglings. For this , we have two more birds to highlight, complete with adorable baby pictures, of course!

Ella, the barn owl, is part of ARC’s Falconry School and Falconry Experience programs. She joined us as a nestling from a captive breeding program in April 2023. Shortly after her arrival, Ella began training to interact with the public, giving guests the unique opportunity to hold a barn owl, learn about this incredible species, and see her amazing adaptations up close!

Ford, the Aplomado Falcon, arrived at ARC shortly after Ella in June 2023. Also coming from a captive breeding program (a requirement that allows both Ford and Ella to interact with the public), Ford quickly started his training. He learned how to fly with a falconer and even how to fly directly to our guests' gloves, showing off the speed and agility falcons are known for! As you can see in the photos, he still had his fuzzy little baby head feathers back then!

To learn more about our Falconry Experiences and book your spot to hang out with these two amazing birds, head over to our website, www.arc4raptors.org!

Yesterday, our Senior Raptor Care Technician, Amanda Wilkes, celebrated 10 years with ARC!What started as a volunteer ro...
05/26/2026

Yesterday, our Senior Raptor Care Technician, Amanda Wilkes, celebrated 10 years with ARC!

What started as a volunteer role in 2016 has evolved into a decade of incredible dedication as a staff member. Today, Amanda wears many hats: caring for our resident birds and rehab patients, running the clinic, educating guests, working with volunteers, and even designing ARC’s graphics and t-shirts!

Is there anything she can't do? Amanda, thank you for a decade of passion, hard work, and heart!

On this Memorial Day, we pause to remember the men and women who gave everything for our country and our freedom. We wil...
05/25/2026

On this Memorial Day, we pause to remember the men and women who gave everything for our country and our freedom. We will always remember and honor their sacrifice.

Address

323 Lester Road
Apopka, FL
32712

Opening Hours

10am - 1pm

Telephone

+14074611056

Website

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