Helping Birds of Prey
by WSU Raptor Club
Harris’s Hawk (WSU)
Washington State University (WSU) veterinary science and zoology students in the WSU Raptor Club will bring a couple of Red-tailed Hawks and a Northern Saw-whet Owl to help tell the story about the role of birds of prey in ecosystems and the threats they face in the wild.
The birds are part of a collection of about a dozen injured and non-releasable “educational ambassadors” at the Stauber Raptor Facility on the WSU campus in Pullman, WA. The facility and the club were founded in 1981 by Dr. Erik Stauber, a former WSU professor and veterinarian, who specialized in raptors, plus a group of volunteers, after an injured Red-tailed Hawk was brought to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and deemed non-releasable. Named “Charlie,” the male Redtail had been hit by a car and suffered shoulder injuries that rendered him unable to fly. He died in 2014 at the age of 33, making him the oldest-documented Red-tailed Hawk.
Despite federal and state protections, many raptors continue to suffer because of deliberate or incidental human activities. These birds frequently are shot or poisoned, injured by power lines, and struck by vehicles.
Also, their natural habitats are often at risk. The club is dedicated to raptor conservation and educating the public about these magnificent birds. Student club members and other volunteers take care of the hawks, falcons, owls and eagles under the supervision of veterinarians in the Wildlife and Exotics Ward at the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital. They provide rehabilitation care and shelter to sick and injured raptors with the goal of returning them to the wild. When a raptor cannot be released because of extensive injuries, it sometimes becomes part of the team that provides educational programs for schools and groups like ours.
This meeting will be held at the Finch Arboretum Woodland Center, which is located at 3404 W Woodland Blvd right off of Sunset Blvd. Click on the link below for additional information.
For more information about our monthly meetings, click here.