An outstanding array of eagles, hawks, falcons and owls has won the rapt attention and hearts of enthralled audiences throughout the nation.

Jonathan Wood, master falconer and wildlife rehabilitator, has assembled a collection of feathered predators that is unrivaled in scope and size. Operating from two home bases in New York’s Catskill Mountains and the Texas Gulf coast, Wood and his Raptor Project tour constantly along with wife Susan and daughter Rachel, in a large RV that serves as home, office and traveling bird exhibit.

The real stars of the show are the birds themselves, charismatic creatures with saber curved beaks and talons that command respect and rivet attention. Although many of the flock have permanent handicaps barring their re-entry into the wild, these flaws are hard to detect. Some of the birds indeed faced euthanization at crowded wildlife centers across the country and have now been tamed and trained as charming ambassadors of their species and the environments they inhabit.