In early summer of 2011, a young Bald Eagle took her first flight from the vast nest her parents built. Though only three months old, she was already full grown at three feet tall. Despite her height, she still had much to learn about the world around her, struggling to gain full control of her nearly six-foot wingspan as she searched for food. The eaglet encountered fishermen who, with generous intentions, shared their catch with her. Having never developed the skills needed to capture her own food, she continued seeking meals provided by humans, soon turning to families enjoying picnics nearby.
Without a natural fear of humans and the ability to survive on her own, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service determined it would be dangerous for her to remain in the wild, both for the young eagle herself and any onlookers. With this in mind, department staff sought a forever home for her where she could be cared for by wildlife professionals. At the time, the Raptor Program at Schlitz Audubon was seeking an additional Bald Eagle to join our team of feathered ambassadors, allowing us to expand opportunities for the public to learn about these magnificent raptors. With paperwork filled out, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service found the perfect new residence for the female eagle right here at the Center, where she would receive top-notch care and enrichment.
A Closer Look at Eagles
During their earliest years, Bald Eagles are covered in beautiful chocolate-brown plumage, complimented by dark eyes and beaks. At approximately three years old, they begin to molt into their signature white head and tail. This process can take two to three years before they appear as the well-known and beloved national symbol that we recognize. Once in their mature plumage, they are considered adults that can hold territory and find a mate.
Our own newly arrived eaglet sported all-brown feathers. As she was already at ease in the company of humans, our Raptor Team got to work right away on building strong relationships with her and teaching her all she needed to know to become a confident and competent ambassador. Simultaneously, we launched a public naming contest to ensure she had a name befitting her strong and unique personality. Though many were submitted, we were certain we landed on the perfect one: Valkyrie.
Valkyrie soon settled well into her role as an educational ambassador. In fact, she was so confident that she vocalized continuously throughout each presentation, intriguing audiences everywhere with these unexpected sounds. A Bald Eagle voice is often portrayed as the ‘scream’ call of a Red-tailed Hawk in popular media. In reality, their cackles and calls sound more like a gull or dolphin — frequencies well-suited to traveling long distances over water.
Internationally, there are four broad groups of eagles categorized primarily by their habitats: booted eagles, forest eagles, snake eagles, and sea eagles. Bald Eagles are considered sea (or fish) eagles, as they prefer to nest and live near waterways. Their diet consists mostly of fish, but they may scavenge nearly anything they can find, including both mammals and waterfowl.
One of up to 60 different eagle species found worldwide, the Bale Eagle dwells only in North America. They are one of our continent’s largest raptors, with their massive size and impressive strength — their grip is around ten times mightier than that of a human! The coloring of their plumage is consistent across their range, but their body mass varies depending on their latitude: from as little as six pounds in Florida to 16 pounds in Alaska. Valkyrie lands appropriately right in the middle at ten pounds.
Milwaukee’s Eagle
Valkyrie’s extreme comfort with humans has helped her excel as an ambassador. She can visit preschool classrooms filled with young students or stand onstage in front of a crowd at the Wisconsin State Fair grounds without worry. More recently, Valkyrie has helped us build partnerships with other Milwaukee area organizations, spreading raptor awareness and appreciation throughout the community. Since 2025, she has wowed audiences during the national anthem at Marquette University Men’s Basketball games, Milwaukee Bucks games, and Brewers games at American Family Field. She delights attendees at the Fisher House’s annual fundraiser to support veterans and their families, with more exciting appearances to come in the fall of 2026 at Discovery World and the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum.
Over the years, Valkyrie only continues to grow and amaze us all. To celebrate her story and impact as a raptor ambassador, her caretakers wrote and illustrated a book titled “A New Home for an Eagle” that follows her daily life. You can find it in the Nature Store of our Visitor Center building next time you visit.
With her busy event schedule, our Raptor Team ensures she has plenty of time to unwind and recharge. Keep an eye on our Calendar, Instagram, and Facebook for opportunities to meet her at a Raptor Saturday program or other events around our region. Each November she joins our resident raptors for Xtreme Raptor Day, our annual raptor festival that celebrates these amazing hunters of the sky. We are honored to work alongside Valkyrie in sharing the astounding traits and importance of her species!
