54 Nebraskaland • August-September 2020
MIXED BAG
It all starts when the call comes in: a sick or injured hawk,
owl, eagle, kite, vulture or falcon has been found, and it needs
someone to come pick it up. A volunteer drops everything to
drive, sometimes as far as the western edge of the state, to
pick up the bird and transport the new patient to the Raptor
Hospital outside of Elmwood for evaluation, treatment and
rehabilitation. Strong and healthy again, it is released to fl y
and hunt as a wild creature once more.
Every year this cycle, the Raptor Recovery program, sees
and treats around 600 birds from Nebraska and western Iowa.
Founded in 1976, it remains the only U.S. Fish and Wildlife-
licensed raptor program in the state of Nebraska.
"It's a lot of work and heartache," said Denise Lewis,
director of Raptor Recovery. "But it's a lot of fun, too … and
it never gets old to see these birds come in that are so broken
turn the corner."
The Raptor Recovery program is staff ed by Denise Lewis
and Betsy Finch, the manager of Raptor Rehabilitation, as
well as around 100 volunteers. "We're really proud of our
volunteers," Lewis said. "They drop everything, even on
holidays and weekends, to go pick up birds way out in the
corner of the state, bring them in for treatment, then drive
them back to that far corner for release, getting the family
that found the bird involved. There is really no way we
could do this without them." Still, they are always looking
for people to get involved, and can always use donations,
especially comprised of food, as the raptor's diets cost
$80,000-$90,000 a year.
About 50 percent of the birds are unfi t for release after
treatment. These enter the Raptor Woodland Refuge in
Fontenelle Forest or are placed in zoos and nature centers
throughout the country, becoming educators, breeders and
foster parents to fl edglings. Though unfortunate, these birds
play a critical role in bolstering their population and raising
the next generation of winged hunters, especially during
raptor baby season from March to July when the program
sees fl edglings who have fallen from the nest or sky, and uses
foster parent birds to teach the younglings how to raptor. They
also interact with and teach visitors of the Forest, and travel
to schools and outreach programs, reaching approximately
20,000 people a year in Nebraska alone.
Come to Fontenelle Forest and meet these incredible birds,
or have them come to your school, club or program. And keep
an eye out for them when out of doors. If you do happen to
come across one injured, talons thrashing on the ground, give
it a fi ghting chance to hunt the skies again. Call the Raptor
Recovery hotline at (866) 888-7261, or visit their website at
fontenelleforest.org/raptors/injured-raptor/.
RAPTOR RECOVERY
By Emily Burch
GREAT-HORNED
OWL,
PART
OF
RAPTOR
RECOVERY,
AT
EUGENE
T.
MAHONEY
STATE
PARK.
PHOTO
BY
JEFF
KURRUS
