Columnists
Email
Print
Bird's-Eye View: Raptor site offers close encounters with nature
Phil Dickinson Photo
Bob Chamberlain of Wildlife Rehab prepares to release a rehabilitated hawk.
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: December 23, 2008
Are you wondering what to do with your children or grandchildren during the holidays? Take them to the Carolina Raptor Center in nearby Huntersville. The center provides a perfect opportunity to connect youngsters with nature. What child, or adult for that matter, would not be thrilled to see an owl, a hawk or an eagle face-to-face?
Owls, hawks, falcons and eagles are raptors. They prey on other animals for food. So do some other birds, such as shrikes and pelicans. But raptors use their strong feet or talons to catch their prey. They also have powerful hooked beaks to tear it apart. Arguably, vultures are not true raptors, but you also can find them at the center.
The center admits about 700 injured raptors each year. After treatment, a majority are released back into the wild. Others cannot be released because of permanent injuries or because of too much reliance on humans.
A program of care
In winter and late spring, the number of raptor injuries increases. In winter, the birds must survive colder weather, work harder to find food and compete for scarce prey with rivals that have migrated into the area. Also, because their hunting time and our rush hour both take place at dusk, the birds are more prone to collisions with vehicles.
In late spring, chicks may fall out of the nest or become orphaned. Often, a young bird on the ground does not have to be rescued. It can be returned to the nest or possibly just left alone.
New patients at the raptor center are weighed and examined. Eye exams may reveal head injuries, but broken wings are the most common problem. They must be set, and surgery may be required.
Afterward, birds are moved to small cages in the rehabilitation area, away from most human activity. Many birds require medications and treatment for malnutrition or dehydration. Birds that are ready for solid food are offered small rodents.
When birds gain strength, they are moved to outside cages. There they become acclimated to the weather, test their wings and eventually take short flights. Human contact remains at minimum. When the birds are physically ready and the season is right, the birds are banded and released.
At the center, walk along a self-guided nature trail and observe 21 species of raptors and vultures in their aviaries. Read the stories of the birds, such as Aragorn the Peregrine Falcon. He had a bad wing injury and was found on someone's porch in Cleveland, N.C.
Education programs are held on weekends. This Saturday and Sunday, learn how raptors survive in cold weather. On Jan. 17, a Wild Winter Festival will feature special activities for children from noon to 4 pm. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $6 for students and free for children younger than 5.
The center is closed on Christmas and New Year's Day.
The center, which is about an hour south of Winston-Salem, is a nonprofit organization supported by grants, contributions and admission fees.
For more information, visit its Web site at www.carolinaraptorcenter.org, or call 704-875-6521. Ask about the adopt-a-bird program.
Care in Forsyth County, too
Injured raptors and other wildlife also receive care in Forsyth County. Jean and Bob Chamberlain have worked with Wildlife Rehab Inc. for years. They take care of raptors and herons, or as Jean said, "Any bird that eats meat."
This year, I was able to share a good-news experience with them. A red-shouldered hawk was in hot pursuit of a bread-toting crow and broke a wing when it crashed into a neighbor's house. We called Wildlife Rehab, 336-785-0912, and the Chamberlains came out. After the wing was set, they cared for the hawk until it could fly and then released it back into our neighborhood to rejoin its mate.
Meet Tears the Kestrel, a species of falcon, and other animals during programs that Wildlife Rehab offers at local parks, bird-supply stores and nature fairs. At www.wildliferehabinc.org, find information about the group's activities, rehabilitator training and wish list for in-kind donations.
■ Bird's-Eye View is a joint column by Ron Morris and Phil Dickinson. Today's column was written by Dickinson. Dickinson is a legal writer. He has been an active birder for 15 years, and is a past president of the Audubon Society of Forsyth County and heads the conservation committee. Morris retired after 24 years as curator at the N.C. Zoo. He has studied birds around the world and is currently the vice president of the Audubon Society of Forsyth County. If you have a birding question or story idea, write to Bird's-Eye View in care of Features, Winston-Salem Journal, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101-3159, or send an e-mail to birding@wsjournal.com. Please type "birds" in the subject line.
Email
Print
