AWENDAW, S.C. - The Avian Conservation Center in Awendaw, has completed construction of a new Eagle Flight Enclosure, a purpose-built reconditioning space designed to help recovering eagles and other large birds of prey rebuild the strength and flight ability they need to thrive.
Spanning 120 feet, the enclosure represents the final stage in the medical treatment process for larger birds. After a raptor has been stabilized, treated, and cleared by the Center’s medical team, it moves into the flight enclosure, living there around the clock until it is determined ready to return to the wild.
The structure’s most distinctive feature is a deliberate “dogleg” curve along its length. The bend allows the team to evaluate a bird’s ability to navigate and maneuver in flight, while the overall distance lets birds build the cardiovascular fitness and endurance essential to survival once released.
“We are thrilled to have this enclosure advance our Medical Center,” said Stephen Schabel, President and CEO at the Center for Birds of Prey. “It will be an invaluable tool in the work that we do to treat, condition, and ultimately return these animals to the wild, where they play a vital role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.”
The enclosure was built by Harbor Construction and designed by Reggie Gibson Architects. It will be named at a dedication ceremony in honor of A.L. Hutchinson, Jr., a long-time supporter of the Center’s mission, and whose family was a primary donor for the project.
The Eagle Flight Enclosure is one of several recent investments at the Center, which cares for roughly 1,200 injured birds each year and maintains an educational collection of approximately 50 species. Through its medical, educational, research, and conservation work, the organization aims to address the environmental issues, from vehicle collisions to lead poisoning and rodenticide toxicity, that bring injured birds into its care.