St. Pete’s Raptor Fest celebrates 10 years of helping birds of prey

The festival returns to Boyd Hill this weekend.

By Ray Roa on Wed, Jan 31, 2024 at 2:50 pm

Photo via St. Petersburg Parks & Recreation/Facebook

An Eastern Screech Owl at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in St. Petersburg, Florida.

St. Petersburg’s Boyd Hill Nature Preserve is home to 20 raptors, or birds of prey (like the Eastern Screech Owl pictured), that have been deemed non-releasable.

Those birds have also been carefully vetted to ensure that they can be safely handled and used in educational programs. Thousands of bird-brained visitors stop by each year for Raptor Fest, and raise money to support Boyd Hill’s Birds of Prey Program. Attendees can learn more about the birds, see them in free flight, and yes, take a selfie with some of them as part of a day filled with environmental exhibits, kids activities, bird walks and more.

Parking is limited, so utilizing the free parking and shuttle from nearby Lakewood High School (1400 54th Ave. S, St. Petersburg) and Lake Vista Recreation Center (401 62nd Ave. S, St. Petersburg) is recommended.

There’s no cover for the 10th annual Raptor Fest happening Saturday, Feb. 3 at St. Petersburg’s Boyd Hill Nature Preserve at 1101 Country Club Way S. Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.

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About The Author

Ray Roa

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief in August 2019. Past work can be seen at Suburban Apologist, Tampa Bay Times, Consequence of Sound and The...

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