Brown short-tailed hawk looking at camera, Brown Bird, Black and brown bird — Raptor Fest returns to Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in St. Petersburg, Florida on Feb. 1, 2025. Credit: Photo via FriendsBoydHill/Facebook

Florida harbors 30 species of birds of prey, and 20 of them can be found at St. Petersburg’s Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.

A chance to get up close and personal with them returns in the spring, when the 11th annual Raptor Fest welcomes more than 5,000 visitors who’ll help raise over $10,000.

The funds go towards the Bird of Prey Program, a partnership between the city and Friends of Boyd Hill that covers food, shelter, veterinary services, and general wellbeing for the birds.

To educate the community on birds of prey, Raptor Fest chooses one species to showcase and build activities around. The star this year is a non-native rare visitor, the short-tailed hawk.

Dart, Boyd Hills’s hawk, arrived in Florida in June of 2021 with a permanent wing injury, according to the preserve. The bird is part of programming that includes three flight shows featuring various other species, two bird walks, plus vendors and loads of activities for kids and adults alike.

Parking is free, but limited on site. Additional parking, with free shuttle service is available at nearby Lakewood High School (1400 54th Ave. S) and Lake Vista Recreation Center (1401 62nd Ave. S.).

There’s no cover for Raptor Fest happening on Saturday, Feb. 1 at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in St. Petersburg.

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This article appears in Dec 5-11, 2024.