COEUR d’ALENE — A rapt quiet, interspersed with hushed gasps and hums of wonder, fell over the students at Northwest Expedition Academy as Birds of Prey Northwest founding director Janie Veltkamp brought out Dakota, a golden eagle.

His imposing stance gave way to a slightly comedic moment when the educational raptor decided he was comfortable enough with his audience to rouse his brown feathers, ruffling them from tail to beak and poofing the feathers on his head to look like the wild hair of a symphony conductor.

"Look, he's going to rouse. Photo op!” Janie said, holding the massive bird atop her leather glove.

"He’s content," she said to the kids. "He’s not stressed because you students are behaving. You’re polite and still and he’s not nervous."

With a $750 grant from the STEM Action Center, Birds of Prey Northwest presented an educational program for the fourth- and fifth-graders of NExA, who on Friday had the privilege of seeing Tigger the great horned owl, Princess the prairie falcon, Rusty the red-tailed hawk, Luna the peregrine falcon, and Dakota, a 7-year-old golden eagle that had been fed by humans at a young age and can never return to the wild.

"It’s probably the only time you’re ever going to see an eagle this close without bars between you and him,” said Don Veltkamp, who serves as chairman of the Birds of Prey board. “This is a very special time. Not very many people get to see this.

“Soak it in and enjoy seeing an eagle this close."

"Seeing an eagle up close for the first time, it's like pretty much a dream," said fourth-grader Hagan Weiss.

The students were engaged, excited and inquisitive. They asked questions about migratory patterns, beak colors and everything in between.

They were presented with a special moment when Rusty molted a feather seemingly on cue, giving the Veltkamps an opportunity to share with the kids that feathers of protected native North American birds must be turned in to the authorities.

Janie also explained that one of the hardships golden eagles face is wind turbines.

“Golden eagles don’t see those blades running around 200 mph, and they fly into the blades and get killed,” she said. “We’ve made the world a pretty dangerous place for eagles. Electrocution is a problem, illegal shooting of them is a problem … This is a bird of the western states. I believe if we’re not careful within our lifetime, the golden eagle will go endangered.

"I'm not opposed to wind turbines," she said. "I just think they need to be redesigned so they don't kill the eagles."

Birds of Prey promotes stewardship and conservation of raptors through educational programs with live birds of prey virtually, onsite at the BOPNW center, at schools, libraries, public events and professional conferences.

Book your Birds of Prey Northwest educational event before October.

Call 208-245-1367, email Janie at janie@bopnw.org or visit www.birdsofpreynorthwest.org for details.