Raptor Tour - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

raeanna74 · 09-08-2004, 09:06 AM

I went to a raptor rescue center yesterday with the kids. We had a group tour with some of my family and friends. I fuond it educational and inspirational. I wanted to share some of the tidbits of trivia that I learned and share about the group as well since it's non-profit. If there's any problem with the link that I include please excuse me. I'm not intending this for site plugging. This organization does a great work out of love for these birds and nothing more. REGI Raptor Education Group, INC. recieves NO government funding and depends solely on the donations of others and volunteers.

We found out about this group when my mother found a Rough Legged Hawk last year in a corn field that my Dad was hunting. It was injured and she captured it and brought it to the facility. They removed a piece of lead shot from it's breastbone and one from it's wing. It was rehabilitated and released this past spring.

They have a Bald Eagle that is a permanant resident. She was found caught in the Exxon Valdeze (sp?) oil spill. Her wing had been injured and the oil had gotten packed into her open wounds. She was the worst injured bird found in the spill that survived. She was already a mature eagle at the time (at least 5 years old) and has been living at this facility for 15 years now. She enjoys having another companion animal in his cage with her. She allows whatever animal it is to bathe in her bath first, and eat her food before she does. She currently has a crow living with her. In the past she has had a rat and a rabbit, neither of which she has eaten or harmed in any way. She weighs about 16 lbs (the largest Eagle that has ever been recorded) and her wingspan is 6 feet wide.

The Peregrin Falcon is the fastest animal in the world. They have been clocked in a dive at 250 mph.

Vultures stomachs contain such acids and chemicals that even if they eat a carcass contaminated with a disease such as Cholera their excrement is still sterile. Scientists are still studying this and unsure of what all the chemicals even are yet.

The SCREECH that you hear on commercials or programs on TV when a Bald Eagle is displayed are from a HAWK not an Eagle. The Eagles cry sounds almost like a gobble or laugh. It sounded funny when we heard it. Not at all the "majestic" image portrayed in media.

The Group has a Satellite transmitter program under way for those Eagles who they are able to rescue and who have been exposed to West Nile Virus. This past summer they have been able to treat and release 3 Bald Eagles who had contracted the Virus. Bald Eagles are extremely susceptable to the virus. The transmitters are strapped on in the form of a backpack. The batteries are designed to last about 3 years and the straps which they attach them with are designed to biodegrade in about the same time. At about 3 years then the transmitter dies and the backpack falls off. During that time they are able to learn if the bird has any remissions with West Nile Virus, becomes a carrier of it and infects it's family group, or is able to return to normal life with no further repercussions. So far there has been nothing to indicate that there will be any further problems once an Eagle has recovered from West Nile Virus.

I hope you all find this interesting. I was excited about it and enjoyed our visit. We saw many more birds, especially raptors, then I mentioned here. Their site shows pictures of the many birds that they've rescued. They have about 500 birds go through their facility each year. ONE mouse to feed the birds costs about 75 cents each. A Juvenile Eagle eats about 20 mice a day. You can do the math. Then figure in the vetrinarian costs since they do not have one on staff and none of them are trained to be vets. If they had a vet volunteer it could cut their operating costs in half. There have been school groups or people in the area who will go out fishing, freeze the fish and bring all the caught fish to the facility to donate. They only showed us birds that were unreleasable because otherwise they do not want the birds becoming used to humans. It appears to be an applaudable effort being made and the woman who gave us our tour seemed to really enjoy talking about them and you could tell she loved the birds.

bigoldalphamale · 09-08-2004, 09:08 AM

very interesting. wish we had something like that round here.

Cynthetiq · 09-08-2004, 09:20 AM

we have peregrine falcons here in NYC

good for keeping down the pigeon population.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/news/falcon.html

Quote:

Today, Peregrine Falcons are making a comeback in New York City. We currently know of 16 falcon couples, or 32 falcons total, that live year-round in unique places throughout the City such as on top of bridges, church steeples and high-rise buildings. While this comeback has been years in the making, it is possible that the goal of restoring the falcon population will finally be achieved, due to efforts of people like DEP scientist, Chris Nadareski.

In the 1970's, the Peregrine Falcon, or Falco peregrinus from the Latin for wandering, was placed on the endangered species list. Their populations across North America were depleted during the 1950's and 1960's, primarily because of the introduction of many chemicals, such as organochlorine pesticides. These toxic substances would harm the reproductive cycle of the falcon, preventing it from being able to hatch healthy young. To prevent the species from becoming extinct, falcons were bred in captivity and released into the wild, primarily through the efforts of Dr. Tom Cade and The Peregrine Fund, an international organization dedicated to the restoration of populations of birds of prey. In New York State, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is responsible for developing a Statewide Recovery Plan for the Peregrine and remains in charge of all regulatory oversight. Barbara Loucks of DEC's Endangered Species Unit is responsible for overseeing New York States Peregrine Program. Since 1992, DEP and DEC have worked cooperatively in implementing objectives of the recovery plan by developing and protecting nesting sites. In time, Chris, working for a team of scientists at The Peregrine Fund and DEC, helped to re-introduce falcons through a process called 'hacking' where young peregrines are released into the wild and learn to fly and hunt without help from adult birds. For about 8 weeks, he and other scientists would work around the clock to monitor and feed hacked fledglings until they adapted to their environment and learned to hunt for themselves.

In 1983, the first two falcon pairs moved to New York City. Today, there are 16 falcon territories; 12 of which have attempted to nest during the 2002 season so far. The falcons nesting season generally begins in the late winter or earlier with a selection of the nest site. The resident falcons generally stick to the nest boxes provided year after year as do the mated pairs. Immediately following in late winter or early spring the adult pair begins its courtship rituals. These rituals are often quite spectacular with aerial acrobatics of circling and diving at tremendous speeds by the male falcon called the tiercel. It is during this time that the male bonds with the female to prepare for copulation and egg-laying. Eggs are generally laid about every 36 hours from late February to early April. The average clutch size is four but in New York City, we often see 5 eggs. It takes about 30 days for the eggs to hatch and Chris normally bands the young in the nest at age 3 ½ weeks (old enough to accept the band and too young to jump out of the nest). By 5 ½ to 6 weeks the nestlings are ready to jump off the ledge for its maiden or first flight. From the first flight for about 8 weeks after, the young will remain dependent on the adults for protection and food. During the 8 weeks the young will begin as awkward fliers to accomplished aerialists who will be ready to catch its own meal. During the autumn when many birds migrate to warmer climates, the young falcons may stay in NYC or migrate down the Atlantic Coast. It is during this first year of independence that the young birds have to overcome numerous hazards to survive.

Why would a falcon couple want to nest in New York City? There are three outstanding reasons.

First, there is plenty of food for the falcon in the City. A falcon eats birds and the City has a plentiful bird population including pigeons, starlings, blackbirds, flickers, blue jays, and other birds that live in the area or fly through during the migratory season - when birds fly south to find warmer weather. It has been documented that the City falcons have eaten over 75 species of avian prey over the past 15 years of data collection. By collecting feathers, bones and pellets (a regurgitated capsule of undigestable bone and feather), cast by the falcons around the nest site, a City bird's diet can be identified . Information collected on the falcons diet has been used to determine the potential types of environmental contamination that are found in the food chain of the birds. These contaminants, such as chemicals found in pesticides or lead (mostly from paint chips of lead-based paints) have been found in the fleshy tissues of dead birds and unhatched eggs of the falcons through laboratory analysis by DEC's Wildlife Pathologist, Ward Stone. Chris submits all dead falcons and unhatched eggs annually to Mr. Stone to continue the monitoring of enrivonmental heatlh.

Second, the City reminds a falcon of its natural habitat. Falcons historically have lived on high cliffs over spacious areas ideal for hunting. A falcon will sit extremely still and watch its prey until it flies into an open area such as those over a river or the tree lines in a park. The falcon will dive down onto its prey at speeds ranging from 99 to 273 miles per hour (according to Tom Cade's summary of studies in his book "The Falcons of the World"). A City bridge or skyscraper provides a great deal of open air space and a unique perch for hunting.

Third, falcons and New Yorkers respect each others' privacy. The cooperation and understanding of New Yorkers is essential to the falcon's comeback in the City. As long as we do not try to feed falcons or treat them as pets or disturb their nesting and feeding areas, there is nothing for New Yorkers to fear. Instead, with patience and a pair of powerful binoculars, we can enjoy watching the beauty of these birds in flight.

Even though falcons live in the City all year long, Chris's involvement with them becomes most active in late winter and early spring when eggs are hatched. When a falcon is between 3 and 4 weeks old, Chris puts on his protective gear, climbs up into the nest area, and bands the foot, or tarses, of each young falcon. This is a very dangerous task since nests are often in high and precarious locations, such as on a bridge girder or on a skyscraper's window ledge. The process is doubly dangerous since adult peregrines can be angered by humans interfering with their nest. Many times, falcons will dive and attack, with Chris as the target, cutting him with their talons (finger-like sharp claws). Undaunted, Chris will finish the banding and monitor the nest from a distance - for the next several weeks, until the young falcons learn to fly and leave the nest, and at other times during the year until the falcon pair lays new eggs and start the cycle over again.

The banding process is not dangerous for a falcon, since their feet do not grow much after their first 4 weeks and the bands do not get in the way of their daily activities. Two bands are attached permanently for identification purposes. One band tracks the falcon locally, while the other is a band for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that serves as a long-term record of the falcon. The bands help to track birds and provide information, such as where they travel and how long they live, that scientists use to learn how to better support the falcon population. At the time of banding, the young also get a physical examination to make sure they are healthy. After this brief process, the nestlings are returned to the nest, much to their parents' relief.

While Chris does all of the banding work in the City, the falcon project is a result of cooperation between the City, State, and federal agencies, environmental groups like The Peregrine Fund and the New York City Audubon Society, the owners of the places where falcons nest, wildlife rehabilitators in New York State and New Jersey, and the general public. For example, the City Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority and The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey grants Chris permission to make his annual bridge climb to reach one of the falcon nests. He also needs to make sure that people working near the nest know what preventative measures to take to avoid injury to the workers or the falcons. Chris works with community groups to foster awareness and cooperation around the nesting sites. Since falcons don't build real nests, Chris and personnel at the facilities that host the falcons construct nesting boxes for the falcon pairs. These nests are complete with small gravel used to cushion eggs, protective edges to prevent eggs and young birds from falling out of the nest, and perching bars from which the falcons watch their prey.

Public assistance through observations of nesting behaviors and retrieving young falcons that get into trouble during maiden flights (May and June annually) continue to enhance the chances of falcon survivorship through the City of New York. Over the years, many falcon volunteers have retrieved injured or dead birds from the streets and window ledges of the 5 boroughs. Recently, during the winter of 2002, we received an injured falcon, from Brooklyn, previously banded at the Riverside Church in 1995. The falcon rescuer from the general public called the City's CACC rescue unit who delivered it to the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan for emergency service. At that time, the veteraninary staff radiographed (x-rayed) the bird to find a pellet hole in the right wing. The bird was shot by a BB-pellet. Chris then brought the bird to a wildlife rehabilitation center in Morristown, New Jersey called the Raptor Trust. It was here, with the help of Len Soucy and staff, that the adult tiercel was rehabilitated for release back to the City.

The goal of banding falcons is to understand how they live, help them continue their population growth and, eventually, have them removed from the New York State endangered species list. With the help of biologists like Chris and the support of City residents, we hope to make this goal a reality.

warrrreagl · 09-08-2004, 11:03 AM

My alma mater is the home of the Southeastern Raptor Center (http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/index.pl/raptor), and it is a must-see facility. The demonstrations are absolutely amazing. At one time, Auburn featured the largest single-avian (giant cage for one bird) facility in the world and the college's mascot, a golden eagle, lived there.

Today, Auburn's golden eagle is used in the recreation of an old Auburn legend prior to all home football games. Briefly, the eagle is released from the upper deck and she circles the upper area of the stadium for several minutes and then dives to the ground, landing at the feet of her handler. As the eagle circles the stadium, the fans chant the word "warrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" taking many staggered breaths along the way, and then finally end by saying "eagle" right at the moment of landing (or touchdown). Hence, the screenname of yours truly.

The olympics in Salt Lake City borrowed our eagle for the opening ceremonies in 2002, and you may view the video of that event here (http://www.univrel.auburn.edu/tiger/index.html).

raeanna74 · 09-08-2004, 12:18 PM

I think raptors are so facinating.

I had heard of the impact on pesticides on the peregrin falcon. Specifically it was the chemical DDT which caused the falcons to lay eggs with extremely thin shells. The shells were so fragile that when a parent sat on them they would break. This meant that no new falcons were being born. There are some states in the US in which the peregrin falcons are still considered extinct but they are making a comeback. The particular falcon who we saw at our raptor center was born with exceptionally weak feet. They're strong enough for him to stand and such but not enough for him to kill so he's unreleasable. He has been an excellent foster father for many peregrins that they've rehabilitated.

One more thing about this center is that "REGI has one of the largest flight training facilities in the world, used to teach eagles and other birds how to fly again after injuries. It is also used to help raptors build muscle and social skills necessary in the wild."

09-08-2004, 09:06 AM	#1 (permalink)
raeanna74 I'm not a blonde! I'm knot! I'm knot! I'm knot! Location: Upper Michigan	Raptor Tour I went to a raptor rescue center yesterday with the kids. We had a group tour with some of my family and friends. I fuond it educational and inspirational. I wanted to share some of the tidbits of trivia that I learned and share about the group as well since it's non-profit. If there's any problem with the link that I include please excuse me. I'm not intending this for site plugging. This organization does a great work out of love for these birds and nothing more. REGI Raptor Education Group, INC. recieves NO government funding and depends solely on the donations of others and volunteers. We found out about this group when my mother found a Rough Legged Hawk last year in a corn field that my Dad was hunting. It was injured and she captured it and brought it to the facility. They removed a piece of lead shot from it's breastbone and one from it's wing. It was rehabilitated and released this past spring. They have a Bald Eagle that is a permanant resident. She was found caught in the Exxon Valdeze (sp?) oil spill. Her wing had been injured and the oil had gotten packed into her open wounds. She was the worst injured bird found in the spill that survived. She was already a mature eagle at the time (at least 5 years old) and has been living at this facility for 15 years now. She enjoys having another companion animal in his cage with her. She allows whatever animal it is to bathe in her bath first, and eat her food before she does. She currently has a crow living with her. In the past she has had a rat and a rabbit, neither of which she has eaten or harmed in any way. She weighs about 16 lbs (the largest Eagle that has ever been recorded) and her wingspan is 6 feet wide. The Peregrin Falcon is the fastest animal in the world. They have been clocked in a dive at 250 mph. Vultures stomachs contain such acids and chemicals that even if they eat a carcass contaminated with a disease such as Cholera their excrement is still sterile. Scientists are still studying this and unsure of what all the chemicals even are yet. The SCREECH that you hear on commercials or programs on TV when a Bald Eagle is displayed are from a HAWK not an Eagle. The Eagles cry sounds almost like a gobble or laugh. It sounded funny when we heard it. Not at all the "majestic" image portrayed in media. The Group has a Satellite transmitter program under way for those Eagles who they are able to rescue and who have been exposed to West Nile Virus. This past summer they have been able to treat and release 3 Bald Eagles who had contracted the Virus. Bald Eagles are extremely susceptable to the virus. The transmitters are strapped on in the form of a backpack. The batteries are designed to last about 3 years and the straps which they attach them with are designed to biodegrade in about the same time. At about 3 years then the transmitter dies and the backpack falls off. During that time they are able to learn if the bird has any remissions with West Nile Virus, becomes a carrier of it and infects it's family group, or is able to return to normal life with no further repercussions. So far there has been nothing to indicate that there will be any further problems once an Eagle has recovered from West Nile Virus. I hope you all find this interesting. I was excited about it and enjoyed our visit. We saw many more birds, especially raptors, then I mentioned here. Their site shows pictures of the many birds that they've rescued. They have about 500 birds go through their facility each year. ONE mouse to feed the birds costs about 75 cents each. A Juvenile Eagle eats about 20 mice a day. You can do the math. Then figure in the vetrinarian costs since they do not have one on staff and none of them are trained to be vets. If they had a vet volunteer it could cut their operating costs in half. There have been school groups or people in the area who will go out fishing, freeze the fish and bring all the caught fish to the facility to donate. They only showed us birds that were unreleasable because otherwise they do not want the birds becoming used to humans. It appears to be an applaudable effort being made and the woman who gave us our tour seemed to really enjoy talking about them and you could tell she loved the birds. __________________ "Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama My Karma just ran over your Dogma. Last edited by raeanna74; 09-08-2004 at 09:12 AM..

09-08-2004, 11:03 AM	#4 (permalink)
warrrreagl pinche vato Location: backwater, Third World, land of cotton	My alma mater is the home of the Southeastern Raptor Center (http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/index.pl/raptor), and it is a must-see facility. The demonstrations are absolutely amazing. At one time, Auburn featured the largest single-avian (giant cage for one bird) facility in the world and the college's mascot, a golden eagle, lived there. Today, Auburn's golden eagle is used in the recreation of an old Auburn legend prior to all home football games. Briefly, the eagle is released from the upper deck and she circles the upper area of the stadium for several minutes and then dives to the ground, landing at the feet of her handler. As the eagle circles the stadium, the fans chant the word "warrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" taking many staggered breaths along the way, and then finally end by saying "eagle" right at the moment of landing (or touchdown). Hence, the screenname of yours truly. The olympics in Salt Lake City borrowed our eagle for the opening ceremonies in 2002, and you may view the video of that event here (http://www.univrel.auburn.edu/tiger/index.html). __________________ Living is easy with eyes closed.

09-08-2004, 12:18 PM	#5 (permalink)
raeanna74 I'm not a blonde! I'm knot! I'm knot! I'm knot! Location: Upper Michigan	I think raptors are so facinating. I had heard of the impact on pesticides on the peregrin falcon. Specifically it was the chemical DDT which caused the falcons to lay eggs with extremely thin shells. The shells were so fragile that when a parent sat on them they would break. This meant that no new falcons were being born. There are some states in the US in which the peregrin falcons are still considered extinct but they are making a comeback. The particular falcon who we saw at our raptor center was born with exceptionally weak feet. They're strong enough for him to stand and such but not enough for him to kill so he's unreleasable. He has been an excellent foster father for many peregrins that they've rehabilitated. One more thing about this center is that "REGI has one of the largest flight training facilities in the world, used to teach eagles and other birds how to fly again after injuries. It is also used to help raptors build muscle and social skills necessary in the wild." __________________ "Always learn the rules so that you can break them properly." Dalai Lama My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

09-08-2004, 09:08 AM	#2 (permalink)
bigoldalphamale Loser	very interesting. wish we had something like that round here.