Above : Joe Krathwohl poses with his Andean condor

Right : Birdman with talking parrot

“ Ever since I first saw a condor in person , I was hooked . I knew I was going to spend my life trying to help these huge birds in any way , anywhere , that I possibly could !”

– Joe Krathwohl

Joe Krathwohl , known to many as “ The Birdman ,” is the writer , creator , and host of the new Wings of the World Bird Show that just arrived at the Louisville Zoo . This exciting addition to your Zoo experience is free with Zoo admission . It is a free-flight presentation that features magnificent birds such as the Andean condor , double wattled cassowary , singing parrot , African crowned crane , bateleur eagle and more . These birds perform spectacular feats to the delight of Zoo audiences three times daily and four times

on Saturdays at the Meta- Zoo stage in the center of the Zoo . Joe enthralls guests with personal stories about the animals and ways to help conserve these precious species . His birds talk , jump , and some may zoom right over your head !

Joe has been at this business a long time . He started training birds at the age of 10 when he bought a small parrot and decided to train it to perform the same behaviors as larger parrots he had seen on television . A few years later , his teacher suggested that he give a bird demonstration for students and with that , his love of training beautiful birds was sealed .

By the age of 17 , Joe was performing free-flight bird shows . He gradually began acquiring more birds , including those that had been abandoned and unwanted . Joe also branched out , devoting time to local wildlife centers to rescue and re-release injured birds of all types .

A few years later , The Birdman moved to Las Vegas to perform with his birds at the

famous Tropicana Resort on the Las Vegas Strip , a gig that brought him some notoriety . Joe ’ s show was the first and only educational wildlife presentation there — listed as one of the top 10 bird shows in the world and the third best lounge show on the Strip .

Joe is our resident celebrity , having appeared on many TV shows including Leno , Letterman , Discovery Channel , Animal Planet , and even talk shows with Jack Hanna . He says each show he does is unique and fun in its own way . He fondly remembers his first appearance on Letterman — as well as Dave