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Winton the Red Tailed Hawk Overcomes the Odds to Return Home
Thanks to caring Great Parks staff and RAPTOR Inc.
CINCINNATI (May 16, 2016) – On Monday, May 16, 2016 the red tailed hawk nicknamed “Winton” was released back to his home range at Winton Woods after an arduous 5-month-long rehabilitation period. Cindy Alverson, Executive Director of RAPTOR Inc., said, “We are overjoyed to return this magnificent bird back to the wild where he belongs. He was in grave condition on admission, but he possessed a fighting spirit to survive. He overcame serious disability to be fit for release.”
Winton’s ordeal began in early December, 2015. Visitors described seeing an injured hawk in the area for several days but no one could get close enough to contain it. Raptors are well adapted for survival and will use their last bit of strength to escape capture. On December 16th, the hawk was reported on the ground along the trail near the Winton Centre. The highly trained Great Parks team, which included Naturalist Susan Sumner, Natural Resource Manager Tom Borgman, Ranger Ricky Dove and Volunteer Cricket DeNamur, sprang into action and safely secured the bird until someone from RAPTOR Inc. could respond. RAPTOR Inc. is a non-profit organization with the proper state and federal permits, facilities, and staff required to rehabilitate injured birds of prey. Birds of prey include eagles, hawks, owls, falcons, osprey, and vultures.
On admission, Winton was in extremely poor body condition. He was emaciated, dehydrated, infected with parasites, and had an obvious left wing fracture. The rehabilitators knew he was unlikely to survive, but aggressive treatment was initiated to give him his best chance. Once he was stabilized he was examined by veterinarian Dr. Joseph Grossi who confirmed 2 fractures in his left wing. Surgery was not indicated so the fractures were splinted and the bird was placed on cage rest. Only time would tell if the bird had the strength to survive and if the fractures would heal properly to allow for normal flight.
After several weeks of intensive care, it became apparent that Winton would survive, but he still wasn’t flying. He was re-examined in February but no obvious reason could be found. The rehabilitators prepared for the possibility that Winton would never regain his flight ability and considered searching for a permit holder that could provide a permanent home for him. In the meantime, Winton continued to undergo physical therapy to build strength and conditioning. The additional time paid off and, amazingly, in mid-March Winton was ready to return to the wild. He was banded by a licensed bird bander and the finders were notified to participate in the release.
Ms. Alverson was asked to explain why is it so important to call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in these situations. “For situations involving birds of prey, or any wildlife for that matter, it is very important to call a licensed rehabilitator for many reasons. These animals are strictly protected under state and federal law and penalties can be severe for disturbing them in any way without the proper permits – even possessing one of their feathers is illegal. They also require incredibly specialized care and handling. Simply staring at a bird can cause the bird to die from stress or cause the bird to imprint on humans which will prevent the bird from returning to the wild. Licensed rehabilitators work closely with expert wildlife veterinarians to provide advanced medical care such as fluids, diets, x-rays, lab tests, medications, surgery, and physical therapy. Licensed rehabilitators also have state-inspected facilities with large flight enclosures. These enclosures are designed to meet the unique needs of recovering birds of prey and get them in shape for release.”
To report an orphaned, ill or injured bird of prey in Southwestern Ohio or Northern Kentucky, contact RAPTOR Inc. at (513) 825-3325. To support raptor conservation or schedule an educational program, visit our website at http://raptorinc.org .
Where are the Cincinnati Peregrines?
by Cindy Alverson, Executive Director
Despite much anticipation of having a live web cam to peek into the world of a breeding pair of peregrines nesting on the 4th and Vine building of downtown Cincinnati, we have yet to see their arrival. In 2014 they began laying eggs early April; in 2015 it was the last week in March. As of April 5, we are beginning to think this may not be their chosen nest site in 2016.
So where are the Cincinnati peregrines? Many questions come to mind. Are there still two peregrines downtown? Did something happen to one of them and a new mate is needed? Did the peregrines pull a switcheroo and find a nest site somewhere else?
An expedition downtown was needed to help answer these questions since there are many sites there where the falcons were known to frequent. Downtown was originally chosen for the nest box site because peregrines nest on tall buildings as artificial nest sites and rivers provide good hunting opportunities since there are less opportunities for prey to escape.
The Observation Deck of the Carew Tower is the best place to see the peregrines typically nesting in the 4th and Vine nestbox on the 27th floor. The nestbox faces the south side of the Carew Tower and with binoculars you can see inside the box as well as the other building sites where they perch. The falcons have also been known to perch on the letters of the US Bank building and the bank’s logo while they eat. Scanning other tall buildings for falcons sitting in nooks and ledges proved uneventful. The Daniel Carter Beard bridge is also a place to observe as they often sit on the very top. No falcons there either.
Then out of the southeast flew a peregrine! Long angled wings, flying high, silhouetted against the sky! Flying toward the downtown area, this falcon could have been coming from northern Kentucky as well as Cincinnati. Trying to gauge the position, I lowered my binoculars in time to see a second falcon flying from the south. In a flash, they were gone; I was unable to see where they landed.
Even though the siting was brief, I believe it was a peregrine pair and they are nesting somewhere in the area, maybe downtown Cincinnati, maybe in northern Kentucky. If they had a nest, it would make sense that they were seen for only briefly. If eggs were laid, they would not be away from them long. Perhaps food was being brought in or it was a change in incubating adult. Even though it is disappointing we are not able to peek into their lives for a short period of their lives via the live web cam, it was great to see that they are alive and well.
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Ohio Department of Agriculture Lifts Ban on Bird Exhibition
by Cindy Alverson, Executive Director
On December 17, 2015, The Ohio Department of Agriculture officially rescinded the order prohibiting bird exhibition in Ohio. This order which was effective June, 2015 was originally intended to remain in place till April, 2016 due to the threat of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak in Ohio.
With no confirmed cases in Ohio and no immediate threat of the avian influenza, State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Forshey and Ohio Agriculture Director, David T. Daniels rescinded the ban which applied to country and independent fairs, the Ohio State Fair and all other gatherings of birds for show or for sale including sales, swap meets. RAPTOR Inc. was hit hard having to cancel 63 scheduled presentations accounting for the elimination of one of our main revenue streams.
From the Pacific Coast to the Midwest, 16 states reported cases of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in late 2014 and continuing through the spring and summer of 2015, over 48 million birds were affected nationally. The avian flu is an extremely contagious virus that primarily affects domestic poultry and is likely spread by wild, migrating birds. With Ohio being the second largest egg producer in the country and home to 28 million laying chickens, 12 million broilers and 2 million turkeys, it was felt Ohio was particularly vulnerable to an outbreak of the disease. These chicken and turkey farms contribute to the health of the state’s economy and it was felt the 14,600 jobs created by these farms needed to be protected.
New Offerings
With the ban of taking our educational avian ambassadors off-site to educational presentations in effect from late June to late December, we focused on ways to bring guests on-site to learn about raptors. Dens of scouts visited our facility and learned about raptors as well as performed service projects. Families toured our avian ambassadors on “Soar-In Sundays”. A Montessori school was able to tour our facility, as well as make owl masks and participate in a raptor identification game. As the saying goes, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” and so it was with RAPTOR Inc.; we were able to refocus our energy and schedule 26 on-site presentations.
Although the ban is now lifted and we will be traveling off-site for presentations, RAPTOR has taken steps to be open to the public at our Milford facility in 2016. Open Houses will be the last Sunday of the month, 1 – 4 PM, except in December when our open house will be December 18. We will continue being open to the public by appointment for private tours. Donations will be gladly accepted and appreciated. See our public appearance schedule at http://raptorinc.org/programs-open-to-the-public/.
At the open houses, you will have the opportunity to view our educational ambassadors and learn more about raptors, speak with our trained educators, hear the vocalizations of native raptors and touch bio-facts. It will be fun for the whole family!
Download your copy of the 2015 Fall HackBack HERE!
During this season of giving, consider partnering with RAPTOR Inc. to preserve birds of prey in our local environment. Visit our website at http://raptorinc.org/raptor-support/ .
RAPTOR Inc. Is Going Viral!
We are working to expand our social media presence and we need your help! In addition to our website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel, we have added a Flickr group, a Twitter account and an Instagram account. We will also be adding a GoFundMe account and a CrowdRise account in the next few weeks to assist us with fundraising. In today’s tech-savvy business environment, social media is an essential tool to connect with the public and to develop professional relationships. These outlets will allow us to expand our conservation impact and build upon RAPTOR Inc.’s stellar reputation. In accordance with our social media policy, we are hoping our members and volunteers will share our posts, add supportive comments and contribute photographs to make our accounts entertaining and educational. We will share additional information about our social media accounts in future Hackback issues, but for now let’s start with Flickr…
ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS…
RAPTOR Inc. has our own group and we would love to have you join us! Our goal is to compile a comprehensive collection of high-quality photographs in a centralized location to illustrate the value of raptors in our environment and the contributions RAPTOR Inc. makes toward their conservation. Please consider visiting our group and adding your photographs to help expand our mission and share our story. The website can be accessed at: https://www.flickr.com/groups/raptor_inc/
Connect with our other social media accounts:
Website: https://www.raptorinc.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RAPTOR-Inc-261924778196/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuMLlbJv2ZL7OYdSDw1aQSA
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/groups/raptor_inc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RAPTOR_Inc_OH
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raptor_inc/
CrowdRise: https://www.crowdrise.com/raptorinc
An evening with Kate Heyden from Kentucky’s Eagle Tracking Project
Oct. 19, 2015 7 PM
Winton Centre, 10245 Winton Rd, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231
From a joint effort of the Audubon Society and RAPTOR, Kate Heyden, a non-game Avian Biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, will be speaking about the eagle tracking project which started in Kentucky in 2010. Kate has satellite-tracked bald and golden eagles from Kentucky to many other states and Canada. Hear what the biologists are learning from the data collected from these transmitters. You can follow online at http://kyeagletracking.wordpress.com/.
Raptor researcher, Jeff Hays of RAPTOR, has assisted Kate with her tracking project in KY for the past 2 years. See photos below of “Carly” being removed from her nest for banding and affixing the transmitter.
posted October 3, 2015
Download your copy of the 2015 Summer HackBack HERE!
The American Kestrel is North America’s smallest falcon. They tend to live in areas with low vegetation and a few isolated perches, often perching on wires or poles. Kestrels are one of the most colorful of all raptors and their plumage distinguishes males from females. A male kestrel has slate blue wing contrasting with its rust red back and tail. Females lack this slate blue and have a barred rusty red wing, black, and tail. People often are amazed to see them hovering in the air waiting for a mouse to make a wrong move. They feed mostly on large insects, but also eat small rodents, bats, lizards, and small snakes. They even hunt small bits and scorpions in areas when food is scarce.
Kestrels nest in cavities such as woodpecker holes. The same nest site may be used in successive years. They will lay 4-6 white eggs with brown spots. The male does most of the hunting and provides food for the incubating female and nestlings.
In recent years, researches have become alarmed by the decline in the kestrel population. Causes of the decline are largely unknown, however, they may include land use, climate change, depredation by Cooper’s Hawks and other birds of prey, competition with for nesting cavities, and environmental contaminants.
The American Kestrel Partnership was formed in 2011 in order to research the kestrel population and coordinate managed nestbox programs. RAPTOR recently joined the program and set up kestrel nestboxes in our area. Volunteer Jake Sberna has built 8 nestboxes to date. One has been installed in the lower property field of RAPTOR Inc. Three have been installed at the Cincinnati Nature Center – Rowe Woods; they can be seen at the Bone Yard, Redwing Trail and Lookout Trail. Nestboxes will also be installed at Long Branch Farm and at a private farm in Batavia. Volunteers will monitor these boxes during breeding season, recording the number of adults nearby, the number of eggs and nestlings, and if other species are using the box. This data will be sent to the American Kestrel Partnership. RAPTOR is excited to be a part of this important conservation initiative. We hope to have active nestboxes in the near future. Stay tuned! Learn more about the American Kestrel Partnership by clicking here.
With a careful toss from skilled hands, the osprey’s journey from near-death to new life began. RAPTOR Inc., Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky’s premier raptor rehabilitation organization, returned the magnificent bird of prey to its natural habitat on Saturday, August 1 at Campbell Lakes, part of the Great Parks of Hamilton County, located in Harrison, Ohio.
The bird was found injured on June 25 by Ranger Shannon, a Great Parks Ranger, and admitted to RAPTOR Inc. for care. The bird sustained trauma from an unknown source which left it grounded, weak and thin, with parasites and a broken toe. During its rehabilitation the bird improved slowly and steadily, until it could fly. Then it began reconditioning in a huge flight enclosure to prepare for its release. The entire rehabilitation process took approximately 5 weeks.
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, ospreys are North American raptors uniquely adapted to feed almost exclusively on live fish. They dive feet-first into the top meter of water to catch the fish near the surface. All but the southernmost populations are migratory, traveling annually from Alaska and Canada to Central and South America. They build conspicuous stick nests in open areas over or near water, often on man-made structures like poles, channel markers and platforms built specifically for nesting birds.
Their numbers plummeted between 1950 and 1980, when pesticides like DDT were in common use. Pesticide bans and construction of artificial nest sites have allowed osprey populations to rebound, but the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife still considered ospreys rare or absent in Hamilton County until 2012, when ospreys were removed from Ohio’s “threatened species” list.
Ospreys are uncommon admissions to rehabilitation facilities and are exceptionally challenging to successfully rehabilitate. They often refuse to eat in captivity and are prone to self-induced injury. The last osprey admitted by RAPTOR Inc. was in 2012. Fortunately, the Campbell Lakes osprey arrived with a voracious appetite. Dedicated and generous RAPTOR Inc. volunteers and fishermen like Joe Lucas and Zan and Liz Smith provided the bird with a steady supply of local fish, allowing it to gain strength.
Jeff Hays, long-time RAPTOR Inc. volunteer, researcher and licensed bird bander, placed a band on the leg of the osprey prior to its release. The band numbers can be used to collect indispensable information regarding the movement, survival and behavior of North American avian species. Analysis of this information can direct important conservation and management decisions.
posted by Jackie Bray
August 7, 2015
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.
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 No Longer on Ohio’s Threatened Species List
2014 was the last year that the Cincinnati peregrine falcons from the downtown 4th 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