‘Wings of America’ Birds of Prey Show
Mike gives the audience an up close look at Owlice the Great Horned Owl.
Between shows, guests can view show birds in their mews.
The AEF educates more than 100,000 Dollywood guests annually.
The Wings of America theatre is an open air venue that seats more than 300 guests!
The AEF’s spectacular Wings of America birds of prey show is presented in an open-air theater located at the Dollywood theme park. It features an up-close look at eagles, hawks, falcons, owls and vultures, some in dramatic free-flying form. The show can be seen four times a day from early April through late October, and educates about 150,000 people annually. At Dollywood alone, the AEF has performed more than 30,000 ‘free flight’ birds of prey educational programs over the past 25 years, using these non-releasable permanently disabled trained birds of prey.
Bird species features in the Wings of America show are: Harris’s hawk, Red-tailed hawk, Screech owls, Barred owl, Great Horned owl, Desert Eagle owl, American Kestrel, Crested Cara Cara, Black vulture, Turkey vulture, Golden Eagle, Bald Eagle, and the one-and-only African Pied Crow ‘Tuck’!
Our 2018-2019 lineup of presenters includes Beth Parker, Brad Skinner, Carly Hamilton, and other AEF crew.
Eagle Mountain Sanctuary Exhibits
Eagle Mountain Sanctuary provides ample natural perching for its residents.
'Hero' perches on a branch leading up to her and her mate's nest.
The lower enclosure at Eagle Mountain Sanctuary houses gunshot victim amputees.
Eagle Mountain Sanctuary is home to two nesting pairs who have hatched and raised many eaglets.
Eagle Mountain Sanctuary educates thousands of Dollywood guests annually.
Natural landscaping and flora provide an ideal home for these disabled Bald Eagles.
Residents of Eagle Mountain Sanctuary are provided fresh food daily.
Breeding pairs make their man-made nests their own with natural material found in their aviary.
'Independence' stands near her watering bowl.
The 'Pick a Mate' section houses eligible bachelor and bachelorette Eagles.
At Dollywood, guests can stroll along the edge of Eagle Mountain Sanctuary, where they will see the largest exhibit of non-releasable Bald Eagles in the United States.
Eagle Mountain Sanctuary encompasses 400,000 cubic feet on the side of a very steep, heavily wooded hillside. The Bald Eagles residing within Eagle Mountain Sanctuary are all permanently physically disabled and would not be able to survive in the wild. These birds are cared for daily by AEF staff who provide fresh water and food and who visually ensure that the Eagles are in good health. They are given full physicals once a year when their enclosures are inspected and renovated.
Eagle Mountain Sanctuary is divided into five compartments:
- The largest enclosure is called the ‘Pick a Mate’ section. It is the home of eligible bachelor and bachelorettes Eagles —all with physical disabilities but with at least partial flight ability. Many of our Bald Eagle breeding pairs throughout the years have resulted from two Eagles from this section choosing each other as mates, at which point they are given their own private enclosure with the hope that they will reproduce and raise Eaglets that will be released into the wild.
-
Three large enclosures are dedicated to nesting pairs. They are outfitted with a man-made nesting structure that the pairs ‘make their own’ with nestorations and natural materials from the enclosure. These enclosures are inhabited by Bald Eagle breeding pairs ‘Independence’ & ‘Franklin,’ ‘Eleanor’ & ‘Mr. Roosevelt,’ and ‘Isaiah’ & ‘Mrs. Jefferson.’ Four other Bald and Golden Eagle breeding pairs reside off park at AEF Headquarters
- The fifth enclosure is located on level ground separate from the main exhibit. Eagles who have no flight ability (wing amputations) live in this naturally landscaped enclosure.
The exhibit can be viewed by the public from early April through the first week in January, while the Dollywood theme park is open to the general public.