Flights of Wonder

Flights of Wonder is a scheduled 25-minute live show presented several times a day in the Asia area of Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. The show features the fascinating natural behaviors and often humorous talents of at least 20 species of exotic birds, including Harris hawks, macaws and a Yellow-napped Amazon parrot named Groucho, who has an amazing singing voice. At the Caravan Stage, these two "worlds" meet in Flights of Wonder, a live bird show where one of Anandapur's bird researchers educates a tour guide with a fear of birds about natural bird behaviors and the effects of habitat loss and conservation efforts on bird species, such as the Black Crowned Crane and Bald Eagle.

Step inside the shaded, canvas-canopied area and take a seat in front of the ornately-decorated Caravan Stage. This is where local tour guide "Guano" Joe and his partner Luke, a bird handler in training, pair up for the Flights of Wonder performance. In response to "Guano" Joe and Luke's cues, the birds hunt, sing, soar and sometimes swoop just above your head for some high-flying surprises.

The show begins with an almost mystical overview of our feathered friends, and a variety of birds gracefully swoop down from the set and over the audience's heads to the stage. After this introduction, a trainer comes on stage and showcases the natural abilities of a number of birds, including macaws, a crowned crane, and different types of hawks. The arrival of silly "tour guide" Guano Joe injects an amount of humor into the show, and he, along with the audience, gradually learns the importance of mankind's conservation efforts. Certain birds also perform some stunts, including a singing parrot named Groucho and a hawk who has been trained to snatch paper money from an audience member's extended hand. At the end of the performance, the handlers will bring out an American bald eagle and other birds.

Though the cast changes on occasion, the Flights of Wonder show may include birds from these species:

• Abyssinian Ground Hornbill
• American Bald Eagle
• Augur Buzzard
• Barbary Falcon
• Eurasian Eagle Owl
• Gray-Crowned Crane
• Harris Hawk
• Ibis
• Indian Runner Ducks
• Macaw
• Pigeon
• Seriema
• Toco Toucan
• Yellow-naped Amazon Parrot

Touring Tips

• Check your Times Guide for show times, generally on stage 5 times a day.
• For the best views, try to sit close to the stage.
• Do not rush out when the show is over. The bird handlers will bring one or two owls or other birds to the edge of the stage for you to get an up close look at, ask questions and photograph.
• If it is raining, you may see an abreviated show which actually is more educational than show.

Facts

• Flights of Wonder opened with the park in April 1998. The show has gone through several changes since the initial version.
• On the surface, Flights of Wonder appears to be a light, whimsical show starring and about birds, but it has at its core deeper, more serious conservation themes.
• The facade of the stage itself is designed to resemble the architecture of that found in the Himalayan highlands or Rajasthan, India.