This fall, the Auburn University Raptor Center (AURC) is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the eagle flight, a “uniquely Auburn” pre-game tradition at each home football game. With the return of its event "Football, Fans and Feathers," the AURC is launching a new fundraising campaign – active now until Nov. 29 – to raise awareness and donations for the Center's raptors, commemorate the history of its beloved birds and ensure the longevity of the tradition.
Founded in 1972, the AURC is an extension of Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine that rehabilitates injured raptors and releases them back into the wild.
“Over 200 birds are treated per year with the aim of releasing them back into the wild. They come here with various injuries, illnesses or even as orphans,” said Dr. Robyn Miller, director of the AURC.
Other raptors are deemed unfit for release, due to past injuries or human imprinting, and become permanent residents of the AURC. The AURC's veterinarians and volunteers then take on the task of providing high-quality care to the raptors to help them live as comfortably as possible.
With these 23 non-releasable raptors, the AURC hosts events to raise public interest in raptors and veterinary medicine. These include guided tours, educational programs and raptor shows.
“Every single one of these birds has different conservative messages that we can talk about – like pesticides, rodenticides, car strikes, all those different things,” said Katie Pnewski, one of the AURC’s raptor specialists.
A few of these non-releasable raptors are trained for much more than just educational shows. These are the birds that can be seen flying above Jordan-Hare Stadium before all of Auburn’s home football games – particularly a Bald Eagle named Independence and a Golden Eagle named Aurea.
Trainer Andrea McCreavy releases Aurea from her cage during Football, Fans and Feathers on Sept. 13, 2019, in Auburn, Alabama.
Raptor specialist Andrea McCravy explained that it can take anywhere from two to three years for an eagle to be “stadium flight-ready.” Using food as a positive feedback mechanism, the raptor specialists train the birds to search for and come back to them.
“We’re just trying to get them comfortable being in the space, and just lots of repetition,” McCravy said.
The intensity of training increases overtime, eventually working the eagles up to where they’re ready to perform the stunt in front of up to 87,000 spectators, all cheering, “War Eagle, hey!”
The training time is also influenced by how well the eagle is acquainted with its caretakers. A trusting bond between the eagles and the raptor specialists is essential to making sure the pre-game flights are seamless and successful.
Taking care of these injured birds, though, can be costly and requires lots of maintenance. To combat this, the AURC are resuming their fundraiser "Football, Fans and Feathers" this Friday, Sept. 4 at 4 p.m. before the home football game against Ball State on Saturday. As usual, this event will take place at 4:00 pm every Friday before a home football game until the Iron Bowl on Nov. 29. For those interested in attending, tickets can be purchased in advance on the College of Veterinary Medicine's website.
The philanthropic event will support the medical costs for the raptors and the many promotional and educational events that the Raptor Center hosts. Miller also emphasized the key role community donors and philanthropy play in funding AURC’s care for the birds.
“We’re asking our community to rally behind this iconic Auburn tradition in preparation of setting us up for the next twenty-five years of War Eagle flights and in hopes of soaring higher than ever before,” Miller said. “We’re able to do what we do for our birds because of donors and the community.”
To learn more about the AURC or to make a donation, visit auburn.edu/raptor for more information.
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Laura Newman, junior in nutrition and dietetics, is from Decatur, Alabama. She has been with The Auburn Plainsman since the fall of 2025.
