WASHINGTON — Majestic birds such as owls, eagles and hawks can be grounded by
human-generated hazards and a Sunday event put the focus on the birds of prey
and some of the dangers they face.
Last year, a snowy owl’s close encounter with a bus or car in downtown D.C.
highlighted the dangers of urban development for birds of prey. That bird’s
plight also put the spotlight on the work done by wildlife rehabilitators
throughout the region.
Hitting plate glass windows and running into power lines are among the top
reasons that birds of prey fall into the custody of the Owl Moon Raptor Center in Montgomery County
says wildlife rehabilitator Suzanne Shoemaker.
“They’re facing all kinds of issues of our making.”
And that’s why she’s made it her business to take care of the birds that are
brought to her.
But caring for the birds goes well beyond the initial medical emergency that
may start the rehabilitation process; they’ve got to go through physical
therapy and be kept as wild as possible while learning to hunt or fly all over
again.
That’s why Owl Moon Raptor Center was the subject of a fundraiser Sunday
afternoon. Hundreds of people flocked to
Black Hill Regional Park, in Boyds, to visit with birds of prey in a way
they could never do otherwise.
Deron Meador, of Adventures with Raptors, brought some of the many owls,
hawks and eagles he cares for so that visitors could get a new appreciation
for raptors — and to inspire visitors to head to a table to make donations.
“We appreciated seeing everybody, and hopefully, when they leave here, they’ll
have a better appreciation for these wonderful birds.”
Among the stars of the afternoon was Diamond, a snowy owl. Meador calls her
and the other birds he brings to similar events “ambassadors.”
“The more people see stuff like this, the more they appreciate it, and the
more they want to help,” Meador says.
And people can help without making a donation.
“You don’t want to use rodenticides, rat poisons, mice poisons. Avoid that as
much as possible; let the raptors do their job. And leave them undisturbed in
the wild.”
Rachel Seratte, an apprentice falconer with Adventures with Raptors, had a
tiny American kestrel on her gloved hand. Asked whether the birds understand
how their visits help people develop an appreciation for the wild raptors, she
said, “They understand that something special’s going on, but whether they
know exactly what it’s for? I don’t think so.”
While the families who visited Black Hill Regional Park clearly enjoyed their
up-close-and-personal interactions with the birds of prey, Shoemaker said the
goal of her work with the center is to keep the wild birds in her care wild.
After all the intensive work she does with the birds that come to her, the
ultimate goal is to let them go.
Wildlife rehabilitator Suzanne Shoemaker with a screech owl. (WTOP/Kate Ryan)
“Oh, it’s always amazing to release a bird,” she says. “They’re meant to be
wild. I don’t like seeing birds in cages.”
It may take an entire season before a bird is ready for release, and while
Shoemaker enjoys every moment she has in the company of raptors, letting the
birds take flight is what it’s all about.
“It’s the whole reason I do what I do, really.”
Find a wild animal in trouble in D.C.? Contact City Wildlife. In Virginia, contact the Wildlife Center.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.
