Blackland Prairie Raptor Center

Named after the tallgrass prairie that once covered more than 23,500 square miles of Texas from the Red River to San Antonio, Blackland Prairie Raptor Center’s mission is to promote and enhance populations of raptors through rehabilitation, conservation, and education initiatives.

Conservation & Restoration Efforts

Blackland Prairie Raptor Center’s campus sits on 66 acres of land along the coast of Lavone Lake. Before commercial and housing development and agriculture initiatives, the land was pristine Blackland Prairie – a temperate grassland ecoregion named after its dark, rich soil. The Blackland Prairie, in its prime, provides a rare native habitat for birds, butterflies, insects, reptiles, and other wildlife that live only in prairie environments. Additionally, the Prairie is a critical hunting ground for migratory birds. With less than 1% of the original Blackland Prairie vegetation remaining, scattered across Texas in parcels, our Center is committed to restoring our 66-acre campus to its original state, supporting local and migratory raptors and all other wildlife. The campus is a sanctuary for native plants and wildlife and serves as a teaching tool.

Rescue & Rehabilitation

Injured, sick and orphaned raptor are brought to the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons.  Most of the birds brought to the Center have experienced vehicle or window collisions, electrocution, gunshots, injuries from traps, lead and rodenticide poisoning, pet attacks, methane burns, and many more human-caused issues.

Our skilled and compassionate medical team – consisting of a veterinarian, rehabilitation manager, interns and volunteers – provides thorough treatment and care to more than 800 sick, injured, and orphaned raptors annually.  Of the treatable birds we receive, more than 75% are released back into the wild. 

Blackland Prairie Raptor Center has state and federal permits to receive injured birds of prey for rehabilitation. The facility is designed based on federal regulations to admit, treat and release raptors safely and as quickly as possible. Our small, but efficient Glotzbach Raptor Hospital includes an exam room, large and small bird intensive care units, an isolation room and nursery. Additionally, our medical facility includes flight cages to provide a spacious area for flight reconditioning, strength and stamina. Enclosures vary in size ranging from small, for small and baby raptors, to large, for hawks, owls and eagles.

Education & Raptor Training

Through education initiatives, the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center is creating tomorrow’s ambassadors by inspiring people of all ages and walks of life to connect with and advocate for the natural world. The Center serves as a sanctuary to thirteen education ambassadors, birds that have come to our Center with circumstances that make them non-releasable. Due to their injuries or conditions, they could not survive in the wild. Our ambassadors and education team travel across North and Central Texas into classrooms, libraries, and community centers to share their splendor and importance in nature. Additionally, the Center hosts student groups at our beautiful prairie-park for live raptor programs, Master Naturalist guided trail hikes, and conservation education. We believe there’s no better way to learn about the birds of prey in North Texas than to meet them in person!