The Chilton Auburn Club hosted a raptor program in partnership with the Southeastern Raptor Center at Auburn University on Tuesday at Clanton Middle School for all third graders in Chilton County.

Assistant Director Marianne Hudson and Raptor Specialist Andrew Hopkins from the center showed students seven different types of rehabilitated raptors they brought from the center.

As Hudson talked about each raptor, Hopkins removed the birds of prey from their compartments one at a time and walked around the gymnasium with them on his outstretched arm to give students a close-up view.

Students were able to see and hear about a barn owl, Eastern screech owl, great horned owl, red-tailed hawk, falcon, vulture and the American bald eagle named “Spirit,” one of the eagles that flies around Jordan-Hare Stadium before Auburn football games.

“These raptors live all around here,” Hudson told students Tuesday. “Your homework is to look for them.”

This was the club’s second year to hold a raptor program as its annual community service project.

“We did it last year, and it was a huge success,” club president Toni Miller said. “All the third graders loved it.”

Miller thanked the Chilton County Board of Education, Superintendent Dave Hayden and CMS Principal Don Finlayson Jr. for allowing the program to be held at CMS again.