Birds of Prey

Kalina - Golden Eagle Kalina joined our ambassador team in Dec. 2010. She came from Washington State University. She was found on the side of a bridge in Sept. with a healed broken right wing. The university believes she was possibly hit by a vehicle. She is a great addition to teach the public about the lesser known eagle species in Michigan and the United States. Golden Eagles are found in Michigan during migration seasons and will rarely stay over the winter season.

Maggie - Peregrine Falcon Our peregrine falcon comes to us from a raptor breeder in Texas. She has a genetic disorder that makes her partially blind. Maggie was bred to be used in the sport of falconry but she does not see well enough to be able to hunt. She was hatched in 2005 and came to us in April 2010.

Matilda - Turkey Vulture Our turkey vulture comes from a wildlife rehabilitator in Michigan. It is believed that she was malnourished when a chick. She was admitted in the fall of 2009 with broken tail feathers, missing and twisted flight feathers, body feathers were all tattered looking, and her back toe nails do not grow. Matilda is on the smaller size for a turkey vulture. We received her in April of 2010. The new feathers on the wings are growing in twisted and some fall out after growing a few inches. You can not sex turkey vultures by size like other raptors. She was DNAed.

Icarus - American Kestrel Our Am. Kestrel comes to us from CA. His left wing was broke and healed in a way that now his wing droops a bit. He is unable to fly and cannot be released. Icarus was shipped to us in Oct of 2010.

Cooper and Sassafras - Harris' Hawks These 2 are from the director's breeding project. The were hatch on 5/28/10 and 5/29/10. This brother and sister team are used for the sport of falconry but you will see them from time to time in our education programs.

Jet - Long-eared Owl Jet is from the Iowa University. He was hit by a car in the winter of 2009/10. He sustained a broken right wing and some minor injuries. The wing was surgically pinned. The surgery went well but the wing did not heal correctly. Jet cannot get height when he flies and can only fly about 5 feet. He came to us in June of 2010.

Willow - Barn Owl This owl comes from Missouri. He was found on the ground in a barn. After blood work was done, it was found that he was poisoned. They questioned the people who owned the barn and found out they put rat poison out. Willow ate a mouse that ate the rat poison and almost ended his life. Now he has neurological issues that stops him from catching live prey. Willow came to us in April 2006.

Lady Bird - Great Horned Owl This big girl comes to us from a raptor center in Cincinnati, OH. She was hit by a car, which broke her wing and caused scar tissue on her right eye. The wing did not heal properly for her to have full flight. Lady Bird is the oldest known, documented Great Horned Owl in the US, to survived in the wild for 28 years. She was banded as a nestling, in 1977 near Cincinnati, OH. and was found injured, only 5 miles away from where she was banded.You can look up her band number, USFWS860837602, http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/homepage/long3120.cfm#Owl. She came to us in July of 2005. We retired her from doing education programs off-site in Jan. 2010. As of March 2011 she will be 34 years old. .

Fern - Eastern Screech Owl gray phase Fern came to us from a wildlife rehabilitator in Michigan. Not sure what happened to her, but she was found on the side of a road, possibility, she collided with a vehicle . She has partial vision in both eye and does not see well enough to be able to catch her own food in the wild. She came to us in December 2007.

Irish - Eastern Screech Owl red phase This little guy came to us from Iowa University. He was brought to them with head trauma probably from being hit by a car. He was examined by a ophthalmologist which concluded that the left eye has retinal displacement as well as denucleation in the right eye. The right eye had to be removed. Which left him with only partial vision in the left eye. Irish came to us in Feb. 2006.

Holly - Barred Owl Hollie, a Barred Owl, was found November, 2010; by Hunters along side a railroad track, a train went by, they watched her just fall over from the wind of the passing train. She was brought into rehab with a serious head injury and very under weight. It is thought that she may of flew into a passing train. She lost sight in her left eye and has neurological brain damage is now unable to be released back into the wild.

Paco - Red-tailed Hawk Paco was injured by being hit by a car. His left shoulder was broken and did not heal properly for him to be able to fly again. We received Paco in January 2011 from a wildlife rehabber in Vicksburg, MI.