Birds of Prey-Train, Read, Release?

February 23, 2022

Today, I began volunteering at the Belize Raptor Center. I plan on being there two afternoons a week. My duties will be varied for sure including assisting with flight training for imprinted birds that can never be released back into the wild. This is one of those birds, a Black Hawk-Eagle named Akna.

My duty today: tap the perch after placing yummy raw tidbits of rat and call her name in my best teacher voice. In her own due time, she flies across to the perch to eat the rat parts. As she flew over, I moved back about four feet to be out of her reach. We did this five times each way. She got to eat, fly, and display her fierceness to us humans once or twice.

It does also bring back memories of when I once had a Golden Eagle imprint in my care for a year as part of the Aerie Nature Series Programs I did with Perry Conway in the mid-80s. The Golden Eagle in my care was an imprint and once the year of school programs with him ended, he went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs to be part of their captive breeding program. At least his offspring flew free.

Carol with Golden Eagle, 1983

Seeing the imprinted raptors gives me mixed feelings. I am glad there is a place here in Belize for them. I am pleased to help but I am also saddened by how some humans want to keep these magnificent birds as their pets. Once imprinted, they can NEVER be released back into their natural habitat.

There are several raptors being cared for that will, onced healed, be released. Word seems to be slowly spreading in Belize about a place to call to pick up an injured hawk or owl or vulture. There is another place that takes mostly songbirds and other birds to care for and release called Belize Bird Rescue in Belmopan. I am a member there also.

Then there is a tiny owl I will visit for at least twenty minutes and talk to or read to he/she. I tried this today reading from an Alexandra McCall Smith #1 Ladies Detective Society book. The intended outcome is to socialize this tiny raptor to a variety of people in hopes he/she will become less nervous. I found doing this to be cathartic for me which did surprise me! How can you not be happy reading to such a prefect tiny 3 inch tall owl? I think I will try poetry next time, either mine or maybe Mary Oliver or Lyn Unger or requests appreciated.

This is a PYGMY Owl and in the wild they are blood thirsty killers of course. They rip the heads off of songbirds and eat the brains.

Yes, another imprint.

What can you do? If you live in Belize, please plan a visit to the Raptor Center when they are offering their programs. Donate too. If you see an injured Raptor call them.

In the United Staes or Canada, donate from there too or support a local raptor rehabilitation center near you. Let's protect and appreciate all the birds of prey everywhere and the roles they all play to make ecosystems sustainable.