Jill's Journal: Oregon is clearly Wildlife Central! The girls and I spent the afternoon at Eugene’s Cascades Raptor Center in the company of a great many birds of prey. Although this is primarily a wildlife hospital (founded in 1987), there are dozens of birds here who are permanent residents. They have all been previously injured in some way which inhibits their ability to survive in the wild and now live in large enclosures. The public can literally get within a foot or two of them.
What exactly is a raptor? We learned scientists define raptors as predatory birds who hunt with their feet. This includes eagles, falcons, hawks, osprey, owls, and kites. They have incredibly powerful talons combined with sharp, downward-curved beaks for ripping apart their prey.
The highlight, of course, was the Bald Eagles. Cascades Raptor Center has four of them. They are not friendly-looking birds, but they are so regal. They definitely have what our girls call the “evil eye!”
Equally impressive were the two Golden Eagles. These birds are massive. They’re about 2 1/2 feet long with wingspans up to about 7 1/2 feet. Their talons were so intimidating – no wonder they can swipe deer fawns and lambs. They can dive at speeds up to 200mph.
The Snowy Owl was Erika’s favorite of all the birds of prey we saw.
Among the dozen different owl varieties we saw was the Great Horned Owl…
…and the curious little Burrowing Owl.
One of three Peregrine Falcons at the Center, this guy was intense. He was fed a moment after I snapped this picture and Madelyn didn’t like him much after that, since he eats smaller birds! Like the Golden Eagles, Peregrine Falcons can dive at a spectacular 200mph. Cascades Raptor Center has five different varieties of falcons.
There are eight varieties of hawks here; this one is a Ferruginous Hawk, the largest and heaviest hawk in North America. It resembles the Golden Eagle in body type, nesting habits, and diet. We noticed a number of signs around his enclosure warning to keep hands far away. He also had an extra fence around his cage. I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps he may have removed a few fingers?
The Red-Shouldered Hawk probably made the biggest impression on the girls. He screamed incessantly at us. We must have been infringing on his territory, so we didn’t stay near him for long.
It’s a shame all these magnificent creatures are no longer able to soar in the beautiful Oregon skies, but how wonderful they can help educate the public. The girls certainly gained an extra appreciation and respect for raptors today.
5 comments:
Golden eagles are used to hunt wolves in Mongolia, and there was an article in the paper last week about an eagle dropping a fawn on electrical lines in MT leaving people without power. We have a raptor center in Boise that specializes in rehabilitating the peregrines (It's the bird on the back of the Idaho quarter) and CA Condors. They also have the world's largest falconry exhibit.
Very cool, Gary! We'll put that place in Boise on our list. What phenomenal birds.
We have two pairs of bald eagles who nest in our neighborhood. There are osprey, turkey vultures, herons, etc. around here too, but the eagles are really something and I always feel so lucky to have them flying over my house. Beautiful!
Peregrine Falcons are my favorite bird, mainly for their looks and speed. And I actually like the way they hunt other birds. Sorry about that, Madelyn. )o:
Diana, who needs Oregon? Clearly, we just need to park in Virginia for a while next to you!!
April, you made me laugh out loud. (However, I won't share that with my sweet Madelyn). Hilarious!!
Post a Comment