Eagle who swiped at Trump to visit Melbourne

Remember that video of a bald eagle taking a swipe at Donald Trump that went viral last year? You know the one: First the eagle messes up Trump’s legendary hair with the swipe of a wing. Then, after Trump moves his hand too close to the avian perched on his desk, he nearly comes up with an arm full of beak?

Well, he’s coming to the Brevard Zoo. Not the candidate. The bird.

Uncle Sam will be among the long list of sky hunters avian experts Jonathan and Susan Wood will bring along as the Raptor Project returns for its annual visit Jan. 16-18.

“I don’t know how many years we’ve been going to the zoo, maybe six to eight, but we love the Melbourne area and we love that zoo,” Jonathan Wood said. “We love it because people there appreciate what we do, but also because it’s a well-done zoo, not as institutional-looking as others. Its habitats are closer to the animals’ natural environments.”

Wood knows zoos, as he and his wife travel from their facilities in Texas and New York to plenty of them – and to fairs, special events, productions, expositions and festivals – in the course of a typical year. He and/or his raptors have been in movies and on TV and have made the cover of Rolling Stone.

This annual appearance occurs in advance of the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, which will take place Jan. 20-25, mainly in North Brevard.

“It’s been a joint project with the Brevard Nature Alliance, which organizes the birding festival, for many years,” zoo spokeswoman Andrea Hill said. “He brings 15 to 20 birds, mostly birds of prey that you can see throughout the world. He also does a show that is included with admission, and although every other night it will be in the Nyami Nyami River Lodge, Saturday night’s show will be onstage at Paws On.”

'Some faced euthanization'

Wood, a master falconer and wildlife rehabilitator, has worked with birds for 47 years and has shown raptors  across the country for more than 20 of those.

The animals represent projects in their own right.

“Many of the birds in the Raptor Project have permanent handicaps and have been donated by wildlife centers because they were unable to be reintroduced to the wild,” Wood said. Some faced euthanization and now have been tamed and trained to educate the public.”

The biggest bird the Woods will present here is the golden eagle, although they also will have an eagle owl, the biggest bird of its type. Barn, snowy, screech and burrowing owls will be on hand, too, with plenty of reason.

“A lot of women love owls,” Wood said. “They love the way they look, love what they represent. They collect owl figurines. So we put some emphasis on owls.”

Others simply love what Wood calls the “martial majesty” of birds of prey, military symbols since Marius gave the Roman legions their silver eagles and national symbols since the time of the goddess Athena’s owl.

Uncle Sam, the eagle

“People always have been fascinated by birds of prey. They love to see the peregrine falcon, the fastest animal on earth, and they love to see the golden eagle, a huge, strong bird,” Wood said.

And they will love to see 28-year-old Uncle Sam, which was rescued by the Woods in the early '90s.  According to the Woods, a car tore off part of Uncle Sam's wing  in 1993 in Virginia. But clearly, the eagle has personality. A Time magazine video of Uncle Sam perched on Trump's arm went viral. It was during a photo shoot for a Time cover story.

“We’ve worked with Donald Trump a lot, and people do not realize that he really is into birds and does a lot of things to help preserve bird habitats on his properties,” Wood said. “If Trump realizes there are birds, or other animals, really, on his properties, he will build around them. When Trump saw me (at the photo shoot) with the bird, he said. ‘I get to work with you again. Good.’ I like Trump for non-political reasons.”

These are the birds  that are coming to Brevard Zoo for the Raptor Project:

• golden eagle

• bald eagle

• crested caracara

• black vulture

• red-tailed hawk

• Harris hawk

• gyrfalcon

• peregrine falcon

• Aplomado falcon

• kestrel

• prairie falcon

• Lanner falcon

• barn owl

• snowy owl

• eagle owl

• screech owl

• burrowing owl

Hill said she was excited for this year's Raptor Project.

“It is just the coolest thing,” Hill said. “These are the birds we don’t have, that you study in school, and sometimes he lets them fly, shows you how intelligent raptors are. How interesting is that?”

Follow Lyn on Twitter: @lyn_dowling

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The details

What: The Raptor Project: An exhibit that features birds of prey from all over the world

When: Jan. 16-18

Where: Brevard Zoo, 8225 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne

Cost: Free with zoo admission, which is $17.95 for adults, $16.95 for seniors, $13.95 for children ages 3-11 and free for children 3 and younger

Info: Call 321-254-9453 or visit brevardzoo.com. Send a Tweet to @brevardzoo. For more about the Raptor Project, visit raptorproject.com.