Raptor Blog|RAPTOR Inc.|Cincinnati,Ohio

Calling All Photographers!

Looking for an opportunity to photograph raptors up close and personal? The RAPTOR Inc. avian ambassadors will be on display for your photography pleasure. These birds are perched outside or handheld as close as 10 – 15 feet away. See the Ohio Valley Camera Club website at http://www.meetup.com/ohio-valley-camera-club/ for details on how to register for this special experience. Preregistration is a MUST as each date is limited to 10 photographers. Available dates are August 8 or 22 and September 5 or 19 at the RAPTOR Inc. facility.

Calendar Contest

An opportunity to compete in the RAPTOR Inc. annual photography contest is also available. Participants enter photos of the RAPTOR Inc. ambassadors. 13 winning photos will be chosen to be showcased in the 2016 RAPTOR Inc. calendar. Complimentary calendars will be awarded for the winning photos. See http://www.ohiovalleycameraclub.com/raptor for photo entry information.

Future Bird Shows

Thanks for checking to see the locations of RAPTOR Inc.’s public presentations!

Although there is usually a tremendous amount of public presentations to choose from to see our fun and informative educational presentations during the summer and fall, we are temporarily unable to travel off-site! A ban issued from the Ohio Department of Agriculture does not allow for anyone with educational permits for birds to travel away from their facility. This is an attempt on their part to prevent the avian influenza from entering Ohio.

At this time, we do not know when the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s ban will be lifted. For more information, see the information below.

This is a huge impact to RAPTOR Inc. and regret we can share our birds with you at this time. We look forward to the time when we will again be able to travel off-site!

Please check here or on Facebook to see when we will once again be able to share our feathered friends.

Click here to learn about ODA canceling bird shows.

Peregrine Falcons on Rise!

Peregrine Falcons No Longer on Ohio’s Threatened Species List

2014 was the last year that the Cincinnati peregrine falcons from the downtown 4^th and Vine building were banded. This is wonderful news because it is due to the success of Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) restoration project! Officially, peregrine falcons left Ohio’s list of threatened species on July 1, 2015 and no longer require specific monitoring.

On a federal level, peregrine falcons were listed as endangered in 1970 as a result of the use of the pesticide DDT. Due to their successful comeback across the country peregrines, were removed from the federal endangered list in 1999.

This year ODNR identified 35 peregrine falcon pairs in Ohio. Last year, 67 young falcons fledged from 30 known Ohio nests. Besides the downtown Cincinnati nest, there is one in Cleves at the Miami Fort Station Power Plant, one in Moscow at the Zimmer Power Plant, and at the Beckjord Power Station in New Richmond. Known to nest on cliffs, these locations offer tall nesting sites with a commanding view.

ODNR will continue to keep a distant eye on the peregrine falcon nests statewide and RAPTOR Inc. will continue to keep them informed of any admission of injured falcons. The live downtown Cincinnati RAPTOR Cam camera operated during their nesting period, approximately April through June, will continue to provide a window into their world. For a video of the last 2014 downtown Cincinnati banding, see https://vimeo.com/99275744.

posted by Cindy Alverson

Patiently Waiting…or Not!

Time is drawing near for the hatching of the Peregrine Falcon’s eggs in downtown Cincy! After the last egg is laid, incubation starts and hatching begins approximately 32 – 34 days later. This year, there was unseasonably cold weather and the adults were sitting on the eggs some of the time before the fourth egg was laid on April 2. An approximation would be no earlier than April 28, but some time the end of April and beginning of May. We’ll just have to continue waiting patiently, but time is definitely near!

April 24, 2015

The great advantage of live bird cams is getting to see the bird’s behavior. In the wild, you just don’t get to see everything up close and personal. A day or two before hatching (pipping) you will begin to see the change in the adult’s behavior. The adults will become more active as they feel the movement of the chick inside the egg trying to peck its way out. It’s hard work for the tiny chick, using its egg tooth chipping away at the shell. They rest between spurts of making progress breaking through the shell. To recap the dates of the egg laying:
1st egg – March 26
2nd egg – March 28
3rd egg- March 31
4th egg – April 2

What’s your guess?

1,2,3 Eggs and Counting!

It’s the 2015 nesting season for the downtown Cincinnati Peregrine Falcons! So far 3 eggs have been laid. Thanks to a faithful RAPTOR Inc. follower and photographer, James, the first one was reported on the morning of Match 26th. Peregrine Falcons usually lay eggs ever 2 – 3 days and sure enough, the second egg was laid March 28th, followed by the third egg on the Morning of March 31st, 2015. We’ll have to watch and see if a fourth egg is laid!

The photo above is possibly the female watching over the eggs. Before incubation starts, the female is most often seen standing by the nest, guarding, and often looking out during the day. During incubation, it is the female, who is most often incubating during the day and all of the night. The male does most of the food gathering and incubates the eggs for short periods, so the female can eat away from the nest.

We are guessing that this is the same adult falcon pair as last year. Since we have not seen any leg bands on the falcons, we do not have any history of the adults. The bands have a unique identification number, which could provide information such as the age of the bird or location of banding. The falcons occupying this nest box for the past 2 years have been unbounded, so we will never know if they are the same pair as last year or their history.

Typically, Peregrine Falcons lay their eggs and do not begin incubation till the third or fourth egg is laid. This behavior results in the eggs all hatching within a day or two, and as we noticed last year, the chicks looked about the same size. With the cold snap here in Cincinnati, we noticed the adults sitting on the egg or 2 eggs to prevent them from getting cold. This year, the hatching of the eggs may be spread out over a longer time period. We’ll have to watch and see what happens!

April 1, 2015

RAPTOR Adds Two New Flight Cages

A generous donation from an anonymous donor allowed RAPTOR to construct two new flight cages to support our rehabilitation efforts. We have been running short on flight cages, especially for smaller birds, and needed cages that were “mouse-proofed” to support live prey testing. These two new cages, one 10′ x 22′ and the other 10′ x 24′, will primarily support rehabilitation of smaller birds such as screech owls and kestrels, but will also be useful for live prey resting of larger birds.

These new cages numbered 9 and 10 will supplement our existing rehab cages 1 through 8. They are both equipped with double doors and small vestibules to prevent escapes and have the lower portion of the walls lined with slick metal to prevent live mice from escaping. When a bird with questionable hunting skills is being evaluated, or in some cases trained, the bird is weighed and put in the cage along with a number of live mice. The bird must hunt and capture the live mice in order to feed itself. Sometimes the mice are sneaky and hide and sometimes they escape.

The bird under evaluation is weighed daily to ensure it is finding and eating the mice. If a bird loses weight, it either “doesn’t get it” or else has a problem such as poor vision or coordination that prevents it from finding and eating the mice. In either case , the new cage will allow us to evaluate and determine the birds’ ability to successfully hunt.

The construction of the new cages is similar to that of our other cages. with treated lumber and gravel on the floor. Solid panels are used to provide protection and privacy, so birds in one cages cannot see birds in an adjacent cage. Slatted walls allow light and air circulation but prevent escape without risk of feather damage. A combination of slats and wire screening on the roof maintains the cage’s integrity while allowing sunlight and air circulation. The new cages were build by Dan Gallagher Contracting & Remodeling, the same contractor who build our other cages.

The new cages will allow us to support more species simultaneously and will allow us to “live prey test” birds more quickly so that birds can be released as soon as possible. Previously, birds often had to wait for “a turn” in the only other cage suitable for live prey testing. We look forward to using these new cages and wish to thank the donor and volunteers who made this possible.

Getting Ready For Spring

It’s almost time for nesting season for the Cincinnati Peregrine Falcons! And with that comes the spring cleaning of the nest box on the 4th and Vine building downtown. The biologists from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources provide oversight of the nest box as part of the monitoring program of the Peregrine Falcons, and so have been busy cleaning out the box, replacing the gravel, and painting the box.

As biologist Diana Malas, was busy with the maintenance, the adult peregrines were nearby watching.

This is also the time the cameras will need to be reinstalled in a room inside the 4th and Vine building for the live web cam which will become active in the near future for viewing from the RAPTOR Inc. website. The 2 cameras will be positioned for viewing the activity inside the nest box as well as the top of the box where the adults will sometimes sit and preen. Stay tuned…

Diana painting the box

Clean and ready for action

Adult peregrine falcon is surveying the work.

Crazy Cooper’s Hawk Repaired With Krazy Glue

On Oct. 21st, RAPTOR volunteer Dan Bailey was dispatched to the corner of 6th and Race streets downtown to pick up an injured raptor. Most times we are not quite sure exactly what type of bird it will turn out to be – this time it was an immature Cooper’s Hawk, CH 14-25. These birds are common woodland hawks normally found prowling near a forest edge or possibly near a backyard bird feeder. Apparently the “coop” was able to find a ready supply of smaller birds for his prey in downtown Cincinnati.

Replacement Feather With Wood Splint

CH 14-25 was found to be a bit dazed with five primary feathers on its right side broken off. Primary feathers are feathers that extend from the birds “hand” which are very strong and important for flight. After a week in rehab, the bird was active and energetic

but, with the missing flight feathers, was a poor flyer that would not be able to successfully hunt other birds for food. Unfortunately, the Cooper’s Hawk would not grow replacement feathers until next summer when new feathers grow in as part of the normal yearly feather “molt”. This would require RAPTOR to keep this bird for an extremely long time, and possibly risk further injury or feather damage.

The decision was made to “imp” in new feathers. The imping process was developed by

Krazy Glue Holds New Feather

ancient falconers as a way of repairing broken feathers of their hunting birds. RAPTOR obtained replacement feathers from a dead donor bird of the same species and size. These feathers were then grafted to the stubs of the broken feathers using wood splints and Krazy glue. Each broken feather was matched to a new, perfect feather from the same position on the donor bird. The new feathers were then trimmed so that the overall length of each new feather plus the length of the broken feather’s stub exactly equaled the length of the corresponding unbroken feather.

Splints were made by carefully shaving small bamboo skewers normally used for making kabobs until they just fit into the hollow shafts of the feather stubs on the bird as well as the trimmed ends of the donor feathers. Once he splints were made, the feathers were attached using Krazy glue. The glue set up instantly and holds well. Mind you, the bird was not happy at all during this operation, but neither the bird nor its helpers were injured in the process.

Once all of the new feathers were attached, CH 14-25 was placed in a flight cage for exercise and flight evaluation. After about a week, the new feathers were holding up nicely and our coop was flying like a banshee and ready for release.

RAPTOR normally attempts to release birds near to where they were originally found, since they have their own territories. In this case, CH 14-25 was immature and had not yet established its own territory. We felt that downtown was not the best habitat so CH 14-25 was released at RAPTOR’s facility in Milford. Dan Bailey, the volunteer who originally picked up the bird, did the honors on December 11th.

~By, Cindy Alverson

Dan Bailey Releases CH 14-25 After Successful Feather “Imping”.

A Rescue by Canoe

When Dispatch from RAPTOR Inc. called about a Great Horned Owl that would have to be rescued by canoe, I knew this was the rescue made for me. Being an ACA certified canoe instructor, I am at home in a canoe.

It was a 1.5 hour drive to the Natural Springs Resort in New Paris, Ohio, close to the OH-IN border. The quarry lake at the resort has vertical walls and the owl had found a safe spot to hide on a small shelf two feet above the water but 8′ down from the edge. Jim Pheans the caretaker of NSR had spotted the bird camouflaged behind grave vines and raspberry brambles. Any attempt to approach the owl from above would have resulted in the rescuer sliding into the lake, so the only way to get the owl was by canoe. Jim brought a canoe by golf cart, another staff member provided a paddle and I provided my own life jacket…rescuer safety near water is a priority.

By the time I paddled the 100′ around a peninsula, a small crowd of interested resort campers had gathered. The owl was looking up at the group above buy when I pulled up in the canoe, the owl’s head did that amazing owl trick: a 180 degree turn to give its full attention! I maneuvered the canoe as close as possible and while I was able to get one good foot on solid ground, the majority of my wight was still firmly on the canoe seat. As I leaned out and started to break away the vines the owl started to hiss. It was unnerving, but it was completely awesome. I’ve been a bird nerd my whole life and have watched nature videos and read bird books, but to have this living breathing hissing entity just an arm’s length away…well, there are no words!

When the path was clear, I leaned out of the boat as far as I could and grabbed the owl’s thigh. The bird started to flap, but the surrounding vines contained its attempt to flee. I managed to get a good hold, pulled the owl out and then grabbed the other thigh. SUCCESS! I laid the owl down on the bottom of the boat, thinking that all I had to do now was to wrap the bird in a towel. Yeah…that didn’t happen. I did get a owl on top, but the owl went from the hissing owl to the grabbing everything in-reach owl.

I almost had a owl around the owl and the owl started to flap her wings, which brought the bird right up into my face. Fortunately, I had good holds on both thighs, but for a second we were looking eye to eye. According to a video of the rescue, I said “Howdy”, asked “What’s Up?” and the laid the owl down in the boat again. It was at that time that I realized that I should have pt the transport box in the boat, and that I was not going to be able to paddle myself back to the landing. Jim located a long hook, grabbed the boat and dragged it back around the peninsula, then had to hoist me out of the canoe by pulling my jacket!

The resort campers too their final pictures and then I laid the owl inside the box. The campers were satisfied that the owl was in good hands and sent us off with well wishes for a speedy recovery and return.

Several days later, I heard about “My” Great Horned Owl. The owl was the wight of an adult female and had a badly bruised wing. I also heard that she had become quite the handful, trying to bit and pierce fingers with her talons during her exam.

Two months later, I got the release notice for the Great Horned Owl. She had earned several names by this time…”Bat Rastard”…”Maim”. To me, she was Canoe Owl and I knew there would be quiet the welcoming party at the Resort when I brought her back for release.

Jim at the Resort had prepared the crowd. I had to laugh as a group of gold carts and over 20 owl fans greeted us. I donned my protective leather welding gloves, put the box on a picnic table, and slowly titled it so that the opening was toward a wide-open field.

I flipped open the four flaps and waited for the rush of feathers I’d experienced in previous releases. Instead, the owl hopped out of the box onto the picnic table, turned her head and stared directly at Jim. I can’t help but think it was a look of recognition and a solid “Thank Yooooo” for his effort in saving her. Then she fluffed her feathers, stretched her wings and took off from the table. It took her only 5-6 good solid flaps with those healthy healed wings before she disappeared into the trees.

The Canoe Owl was my third raptor rescue and definitely something that will be a highlight in my life. I have been amazed by the overwhelming interest of the finders/initial rescuers in the individual birds they report. They fall in love and want to know all about that particular species. In turn, when the bird can’t be helped, they are very saddened. It has given me great comfort to know there are so many big-hearted people that care for nature enough to become involved. And, as always, I thank RAPTOR Inc. for allowing me to have such incredible experiences.

By Sandy Stehlin

A Banner Year for Bald Eagles

OAK HARBOR, Ohio – Bald eagles had a banner year in Ohio. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife (DOW) recent finished their eagle production survey and they estimate that about 200 eagle nests successfully produced about 350 chicks this year, said Dave Sherman, certified wildlife biologist with the DOW.

“The number of bald eagles around Sandusky Bay is incredible right now,” Sherman said. “At one point (during the survey) we saw about 20 eagles in the air with another 15 to 20 sitting in dead trees just near the lodge at Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area. The area surrounding Sandusky Bay has to be one of the desert populations of eagles in the lower 48.”

So how does the DOW count eagles all over the state? In 2012, volunteers monitored eagle nests across the state and they probably found 90 percent of the nests, Sherman said. It was a fairly accurate picture of how many nests were in Ohio. Since then, the DOW surveys an area of five 10×10 square blocks on an annual basis. They calculate that the number of chicks per successful nest and they extrapolate those results to calculate the numbers across the state.

“We use that 2012 as a base,” he said. “We take all of the blocks together and see what percentage of [the blocks show] an increase or decrease, and we use that to determine what percent increase or decrease in the populations. Is it a perfect thing? No. There is error associated with it, just like any survey. It’s a conservative estimate. If we were able to locate every eagle nest in Ohiothere would be more than our estimate.”

Of the blocks that are counted annually, two are used every year–one in the Sandusky Bay area and the other is in the Mosquito Creek region. Historically there are good levels of bald eagles there. The other three blocks are rotated annually. This year one was in the Ottawa Refuge area, the second and third were along the Scioto and Sandusky Rivers.

Bald eagles are delisted nationally and in Ohio, so there is no longer any need to intensively monitor the birds. They have the same status as cardinals or robins. The DOW has switched their resources to other habitats and species that are not doing so well.

Before the eagles were delisted, Sherman helped with banding them. They are big, he said. There were never any mishaps for humans or birds, and there is a lot that could have gone wrong when someone is climbing 60 or 70 feet up a tree to retrieve an eaglet, band it, and return it to the nest.

The eagles tend to return to the same nest every year, although occasionally they will build a new nest in the same area, Sherman said. They lay one to three eggs. Incubation duties are shared by both birds for the 35 days, until the eggs hatch. In about 60 to 90 days the eaglets will fledge. The adults continue to feed them until they gain more skill and begin foraging on their own.

The eagles migrate but that migration has never been tracked. There is a major wintering area in Tennessee, and Sherman surmised that that was where they wintered. In the spring they are returning to Ohio in good numbers.

Barn Owl Revival

ASHLAND, Ohio–It was dark when Jessica Elliott went out to the barn, and before she could reach a light, she was frightened by a loud hissing. She turned on the light and saw nothing, but the hissing continued. She didn’t know then how pleased the Ohio Division of Wildlife (DOW) would be to hear about her fright.

“I had no idea what it was,” she said. “I looked around, it kept hissing, and I thought ‘I’m getting out of here.’ The next day we saw barn owls way up on top of the barn. We had hay stacked up pretty high so I got a ladder and I took some pictures–there were three nestlings and the two adults.”

Through their Barn Owl Citizen Science Project, the DOW is encouraging the public to report barn owl sightings throughout the breeding season. While barn owl numbers are increasing, they are still a threatened species in Ohio and are considered threatened or endangered in most midwestern states, said to Ken Duren, DOW wildlife biologist.

“The citizen science project will help us get a better understanding of how many barn owls there are in Ohio and where they are living,” he said. “Most of the nests we know of occur in Wayne and Holmes counties, but we’ve had them scattered throughout the state, though mostly in the eastern part.

Jessica Elliot’s farm is in the eastern part of the state and the owls were nesting about 50 to 60 feet up in her bank barn. “We milk underneath that barn and didn’t know they were there,” Elliott said. “Afterwards I was so excited I got online and started talking with other people who had barn owls.”

Barn owls are called the “farmer’s friend” because they eat a lot of mice and rodents that farmers would not like to have around, Duren said. They need the right habitat—grassland, pastures and hayfields with short to medium height grass—to find those rodents. “They also need a place to nest and to roost, to stay in the day to sleep,” Duren said. “That is mostly dark, manmade buildings, that’s what they use in Ohio. They’ll use barns or silos; things like that.”

Newer metal barns are too well sealed, and barn owls can’t get into them, Duren said. This, along with a decline in hay and grass, is the reason for the barn owl’s decline. Ohio barn owl numbers peaked in the 1930s because of the many wooden barns, dairy and beef cattle, horses, hayfields, and pastures. By the late 1980s, that had changed and the DOW knew of only 20 Ohio nests. In recent years, the owls have had a bit of a revival, thanks in part to nest boxes put up by the DOW.

“Two years ago we had over 100 [nests], so they’re doing a lot better,” he said. “We’ve put up about 400 boxes since 1989 and we’ve steadily seen more and more barn owls using them.” Anyone who knows where barn owls are nesting is asked to contact the DOW by calling 1-800- Wildlife.

This Eagle’s Story

RAPTOR Inc. received a call Labor Day weekend that there was an injured eagle in the middle of the road. Now, we must admit, we hear this more often than you would think. So many times the calls about injured eagles morphs into a red-tailed hawk upon arrival to our rehabilitation facility. But in this case, the person calling had called us last year to rescue an injured Red-tailed Hawk from Mason County, KY, and the hawk was released there. We knew this caller knew the difference between hawks and eagles.

Sure enough, when the volunteer transporter, arrived at our facility and was standing by the side of her car, I knew what that meant. The box was way too large for one person to carry; it probably was an eagle. Gently lifting it out of her van and into our facility, we began to open the box. One whiff and we could tell we were not the first to arrive at the scene. Parasites had beat us to the injury and were leaving destruction in their wake. Our hearts sank as we realized this was probably not going to be a happy ending.

A thorough examination revealed that the immature Bald Eagle had gotten its foot caught and while struggling to free itself, had broken the foot at a joint, leaving the foot was dangling. This injury was old and beyond repair; the parasites had begun to feast causing further damage. There were no option but humane euthanasia for this bird – we call this the “other release”. It is not the release we wanted for this bird, but it was the only course of action. Facilities must abide by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations regarding specific medical conditions, based on sound medical practice. This was not an outcome to be taken lightly. But in the end, a bird with only one leg has no future.

But that is not the end of this eagle’s story. Native Americans and Alaskan natives use eagle feathers for religious and cultural ceremonies. In recognition of the significance of these feathers to Native Americans, the National Eagle Repository was established in Denver, Colorado by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Even though this eagle could not be rehabilitated, it will live on through the use of its feathers in Native American cultural ceremonies.

Posted by Cindy Alverson
September 9, 2014

Sad News about the Downtown Cincinnati Female Peregrine Hatched in 2014

No one likes to hear sad outcomes, but it is a reality that the first year of a raptor’s life is fraught with danger and obstacles as they are perfecting their flying and hunting skills. Data collection has shown that Peregrine Falcons have a lifespan of 12 – 15 years in the wild, BUT that is if they make it through the first year of life. That first year only has a 40% survival rate.

And so it was that the female Peregrine Falcon hatched this year in the nest box of the 4^th and Vine building downtown Cincinnati was found dead on a sidewalk in Covington, KY, right across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. There were no outward signs of injury. The bands placed on the falcon’s legs were able to identify the bird as the female hatched in 2014 in the downtown Cincinnati nest box.

The Cincinnati Museum Center was called to pick up the falcon and a thorough examination was performed to learn more about her demise. The weight was well over 2 pounds (the average of a female peregrine), and she had bits and pieces of fresh bird in her crop. She was definitely a good huntress! A brain hemorrhage, clots in the body cavity and wing fractures suggested she crashed into something at top speed. Since her crop was full, it was believed she was being chased by another bird.

RAPTOR Inc. has the necessary permits to have feathers, wings and feet, and samples are often taken from raptors which do not survive to use as bio-facts in educational presentations at schools, libraries and events. In the case of the Cincinnati female peregrine falcon, the Cincinnati Museum Center is able to make use of the body in many ways. The museum is a repository for tissue samples requested from around the country for DNA research. Educators and researchers often request to borrow skins for their projects. Occasionally samples will go on exhibit in the natural history museum. It is comforting to know that even though death was not what we hoped for; her life was not without significance.

Last photo of the immature female peregrine falcon (left) hatched May, 2014 with the adult on the right.

Cindy Alverson

posted August 21, 2014

Food Frenzy

With the recent closing of Charles River Laboratories, a pharmaceutical research lane in Portage, Michigan that had ben donating mice and rates to RAPTOR Inc. to feed our birds, RAPTOR faces an approximate $30,000 increase in yearly food costs.

For the past 20 years, dedicated volunteers have driven the 300 mile, 5 1/2 hour “rat run” to this facility to load their vehicles with raptor food and then return to RAPTOR for processing. Upon their return, another group of volunteers would arrive late at night to sort through the food, package it into quantities sufficient for a daily feeding, and then freeze it. Certainly not glamorous and definitely time-consuming the volunteers understand how vital this acquisition of donated food was to the operation of rehabilitating and caring for injured birds of prey

Unfortunately, March 27 was the last scheduled donation of rats and mice that RAPTOR Inc. will receive. Charles River raised a huge number of rodents for medical research, and those rodents benefitted rehabilitation and nature center and zoos around the country who were able to use these chemical-free rodents to feed their animals. With the closing of Charles River Labs’ doors, also came the reality that 84 of their employees are loosing their jobs.

The loss of the donated food source amours to a loss of approximately $30,000 a year that is what it takes to feed the RAPTOR’s education birds and the 225 plus injured raptors undergoing rehabilitation each year. At a recent educational program, a child asked how much food Sylvester, our educational Great Horned Owl, ate. Each night his meal consists of 3 or 4 mice or one rate. In a year, this adds up to over 1,200 mice or roughly 300 rates. If RAPTOR had to purchased this food, the yearly cost for Sylvester alone would be $350

But Sylvester is not a burden, he is a showstopper! Last year this owl was taken to 145 presentations all over the Cincinnati area. He has been with RAPTOR Inc. for 17 years and is specifically requested for many programs. He has touched the lives of many children and adults and is sharing his story of how raptors benefit the world. Seeing these birds up close makes what is read in books come to life!

There are commercial suppliers who sell mice and rats, but in addition to the $30,000 cost of the food, the additional costs of overnight shipping charges necessary to keep the food frozen would drive this cost even higher. The last time commercial food was purchased $45 was charged for shipping on a $36 order. The loss of this food donation will have a significant impact on RAPTOR, Inc. and our ability to continue to perform our mission of rehabilitation and education in our community.

RAPTOR Inc. is a 501 (3) c organization, so donations are tax-deductible. Although we maintain permits from the state and Federal governments for rehabilitating injured raptors and giving educational presentations, we receive no financial support from the government. We sustain our organization by private donations, educational programming and memberships.

Last year, over 220 presentations were given all over the Greater Cincinnati area. Nearly 17,000 people attended our presentations at private events or at public events such as Sawyer Point for Earth Day, collaborating with Great Parks on Labor Day weekend, or at the Cincinnati Nature Center during the Great Outdoor Weekend. We need YOUR support to continue with our public services!

If you believe in RAPTOR’s mission of serving the community through rehabilitating injured raptors and educating children in schools, scouts and summer programs, we appeal to you for help to continue our work. All financial contributions are appreciated, no matter the size. To show our appreciation for donations received to help feed the raptors, we are offering a beautiful, authentic Rookwood piece of art as a token of our appreciation. The beautiful “Blinking Owl,” crafted by artist Dan Dutton, would be a welcome addition to any collection. Our thank you gifts comes in two colors, Bonneville Antiqued (off white) or Copper Canyon (brownish), and in three sizes:

$250 Donation – 4 inch high Blinking Owl
$500 Donation – 6 inch high Blinking Owl
$1,000 Donation – 8 inch high Blinking Owl

If you would like to help “Feed the birds,” please call RAPTOR Inc. at 513-825-3325 to make arrangements to donate and receive your own Rookwood Blinking Owl as a gift to enjoy!

Thank You for YOUR Support!

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