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The Desert Museum, located just outside Saguaro National Park (west), is more than the name implies. Ranked as one of the top 10 museums in the United States, it really lives up to its ranking, although the designation as a museum is a little deceiving. It’s actually part zoo and part indoor/outdoor exhibit of all the living (mostly) and non-living features of the desert environment. Tops on their list of attractions is the demonstration of free flight raptors (birds of prey) twice a day. Each day, trained handlers bring several of these different species of birds out for a demonstration and to watch these magnificent birds fly, sometimes inches above your head, is really amazing. Which birds will fly out in the desert with you in these demonstrations depends on the day. We got to see a Peregrine falcon, an owl (didn’t catch the species), and a group of 4 Harris Hawks. Although I was able to capture photos of each of these birds, I was only able to catch in flight shots of the Harris Hawks. Couldn’t photograph the Peregrine falcon because they fly too fast. As the fastest animal on the planet, they soar at over 240 mph! Couldn’t get the owl in flight because they flew really low and inevitably there was someones head in the way! The Harris Hawks on the other hand were fast but slow enough to get some good shots. It’s hard to describe their beauty and gracefulness as they demonstrate their incredible air acrobatics. I also included a photo of a couple of Arizona Air National Guard “raptors” that did a fly by as we were waiting.

Along with the raptor display, there were over a days worth of animals and plants to observe at the museum but I chose not to include pictures of caged animals with the exception of two. The mountain lion and the Mexican Wolf were just so incredibly beautiful that I had to slip in a few pictures of them. The other birds that are included were either free flying in the outdoor areas or, within a large aviary. The entrance fee ($21.00) was kind of pricey, but in the end, well worth it and definitely worth a visit when in the Tucson area.