Whistler is a dark morph Swainson's Hawk at the California Raptor Center
On a cold foggy morning, my bird club toured the California Raptor Center (CRC) at the University of California, Davis. This unique facility only works with raptors: eagles, hawks, falcons, owls and vultures. It is very successful with a release rate of 60 percent.
The center serves as a research facility for the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Because of the affliation with the vet school, they can give a high level of specialized vet care to sick, injured or orphaned raptors. They study nutrition, new techniques to repair injuries, disease, etc. The CRC also provides education to the public and care and management training for rehabilitators.
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So far, this year they have taken in 150 raptors, including an injured Eastern Screech Owl. This owl was dropped off by a cross country trucker who found it on his truck in New Mexico while he was driving to the West Coast. Who knows where the owl may have been picked up by his truck.
The CRC has a number of aviaries where they display the birds that are not releasable. They also have a small museum with taxidermy birds and some interactive exhibits. Most of the facility is off limits in order to keep the rehabilitating and recovering raptors as wild as possible. They have large flights used to exercise the birds prior to release so they can gain strength necessary for free flight.
We had a guided tour with wonderful docents who brought out a variety of exhibits and Whistler, an ambassador bird. Whistler, a Swainson’s Hawk, was illegally obtained as a chick, imprinted on humans and whistles for food when he is hungry. He has no idea on how to hunt for food. The docents also gave a great presentation, providing a great deal of interesting information.
This tray had stuffed raptors that we were allowed to handle There were a couple of wings as well.
We had an interesting discussion on owls. The facial discs guide sounds to their ears which are offset so that they can triangulate sound to locate their prey. Their wing feathers have an unusual barb pattern so that they have silent flight.
Here’s a pair of Great Horned Owls that are unreleasable. Like most raptors, the female is larger than the male.
Great Horned Owls — the female is in front. Our group caught their interest and the feathered horns stood up.
Owl eyes are fixed so they have to turn their heads to see. Their heads are turned but their feet are in the same position as the photo above.
This Western Screech Owl is sleeping in the darkest spot he could find.
The discussion turned to eagles especially their feet. The feet of eagles are interesting in that they are incredibly strong with a PSI of more than 400. They have the ability to racket their talons so they can tighten and maintain their grip on their prey.
CRC permanent residents include a bald eagle who suffered a broken wing when he fell from the nest as an eaglet. All of the perches are fairly low to the ground so that he can access them.
This young male is approximately 5 years old as he recently completed molting into the white head and tail.
The golden eagle came in with a wing injury that required a partial amputation of a wing tip.
Golden Eagle stood still and kept his eye on us.
This White-Tailed Kite named Elana was brought in after she fell from her nest. She received proper nutrition but she imprinted on her caregivers and cannot be released. The center now has the caregivers wear camouflage gilly suits to prevent imprinting. Kites hunt by hovering in the air and dropping feet first on their prey.
A juvenile, Elana’s amber brown eyes will turn a brilliant red and her plumage will lose any remaining brown feathers when she becomes an adult.
They had 3 turkey vultures, Julia, Merry and Pippin. Turkey vultures are very social and have an incredible sense of smell. Despite the center’s best efforts, Merry and Pippen who were brought in as chicks imprinted because they associate feeding with the smell of humans. Julia, who came in as an adult with a disabling injury wants nothing to do with them because they don’t know how to act like turkey vultures.
Pippen sat close to the wire, unafraid of us humans.
Of course they had a Red-Tailed Hawk which is the most common hawk on the North American continent. In the west, we have the greatest differential in color with a number of color morphs. The ambassador birds who are brought out wear leather anklets on their legs because their legs are the strongest part of their body. Jessies are leather straps that connect the anklets to a leather glove to prevent any injuries.
This red-tailed hawk is an ambassador bird as evidenced by his leather anklets.
There were a number of other birds but I was having problems shooting through the wire of some aviaries. Also, the staff checks the birds every day and if a bird seems a little off they remain off exhibit. That day the Kestrel stayed in her night quarters.
This week is looking dry temps in the low 60s with foggy mornings and partial cloudiness for Thanksgiving week. I’m headed to LA to spend the holiday with my family, siblings and nieces and nephews, so my responses may be a bit delayed.
What’s up in your neck of the woods?
