User:TVBirdman/Joe Krathwohl

Joe Krathwohl, The Birdman ®

(updated 5-2011)

Joe Krathwohl, known to many as simply “The Birdman,” originally grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. When he was only 10 years old he bought a small parrot and decided to train that bird to perform the same behaviors that larger parrots on television could do. A few years later one of his teachers suggested that he give a demonstration for her students, and voila! Joe discovered the thrill of presenting bird shows! Over the next few summers, Krathwohl worked as a bird trainer at a quarantine station and even at a car wash. By the time he was 17 he was performing bird shows at Marriott’s Great America Theme Park in Santa Clara, CA. Krathwohl saved his money and gradually began buying more birds, especially abandoned birds and those from abused homes. Soon, Joe was presenting free-flight bird shows at the famous Pier 39 at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Krathwohl also turned his sights on the ancient art of Falconry and became licensed to explore the advanced relationship between humans and raptors. The Birdman also worked with local wildlife centers to rescue and re-release injured birds of all types, including ocean birds. Joe even assisted the CA DFG with Bald and Golden Eagle rescues. He then completed his formal education in Behavioral Psychology from San Jose State University and subsequently moved to Las Vegas to perform with his birds at the famous Tropicana Resort on the strip. This was the first educational wildlife show in Las Vegas and even though some thought it would never work, the show welcomed nearly 175,000 people per year between 1989 and 2003. This is what led Joe to become the premiere bird trainer in the Entertainment Capitol of the World. As such, he gets asked to help with bird projects by other performers. Joe even supplies birds and animals for an ongoing list of big time Hollywood feature films by producers.

Today, Joe travels the world creating free flight bird shows for zoos, parks, and aquariums, and back home operates his breeding program for a wide variety of rare and endangered species. His Las Vegas home is literally built for the nearly 1,000 birds in his care. Joe’s bird sanctuary is also still a refuge for abandoned and injured birds, but especially a facility for his dedicated passion, breeding the rare and endangered Andean Condors.

Joe also trains and supplies his Condors for the "Condor Encounter" Bird Show at the National Geographic Grand Canyon Visitors Center in Tusayan, Arizona. He also has plans to visit Condor Breeding Facilities in Chile and Ecuador. “Ever since I first saw a Condor in person, I was hooked. I knew I was going to dedicate my life to helping these huge birds in any way, anywhere, that I possibly can!” -Joe

It is all of these vast experiences that has helped Joe Krathwohl to truly live up to his title of “The Birdman.” ...