Raptor Release-Spring 2013.indd - University of Minnesota College ...

By Lori ArentRAPTOR WATCHINGTALES FROM THE TRAUMA CENTERWinter turn, turn, turns to springAs the sun’s increasing warmthenvelops pale, winter skin, andthe light of day lingers longer,the lyrics of a well-known song come tomind: “To everything, turn, turn, turn,there is a season, turn, turn, turn, and atime to every purpose under heaven.”Ironically, the song is by The Byrds.Seasonal changes either roar in like alion or enter quietly like a lamb, and theclinic must be ready to adapt to whateverMother Nature brings.Last winter, TRC flight crews never reallytook a winter hiatus. Birds were exercisedand released throughout the wintermonths as weather allowed. This winterwas a different story. From the 15-inchsnowfall in early December to the 10-inchsnowfall in early March, most flight crewswere “on vacation” as patients awaitedadequate conditions to begin their finalphase of rehabilitation. The eagle flightcrews were the exception. TRC onlyreleases eagles during the winter months,so dedicated volunteers often brave cold,windy, snowy conditions to prepare eaglesfor release. The clinic over-winteredapproximately 60 patients, compared to35 the previous winter.In March, TRC experienced a rareoccurrence, treating and housing ninespecies of owls concurrently. Speciesrepresented were the northern saw-whetowl, eastern screech owl, boreal owl,long-eared owl, short-eared owl, barredowl, great horned owl, great gray owl, andsnowy owl.As the winter days grew longer, clinicstaff began thinking about the upcomingbaby season and what it would bring.Traditionally, the earliest raptor nesterin Minnesota is the great horned owl.Typically, these owls lay eggs at the endof January or beginning of Februaryand incubate them during the harshestperiod of Minnesota’s winter. This year,however, there were surprising reports ofearly nesting bald eagles. The MinnesotaThis great gray owl landed on a customer’s car in the drive-through of a Twin Cities Caribou Coffee inFebruary. After a few weeks of treatment at The Raptor Center, he was released in northern Minnesota.Photo by Amber BurnetteDepartment of Natural Resources put awebcam on an eagle nest in the metro areaand discovered that the female laid eggsduring the first week of January.Waking up at CaribouImagine having a few extra minutes beforeyou need to get to work and decidingto stop at Caribou Coffee for a muchneededcaffeinated beverage. While you’rewaiting in the drive-through, a large greatgray owl swoops in and lands on your car.Maybe you no longer need that coffee towake up.This actually happened to a woman fromPlymouth, Minnesota, in late February.By the time a TRC volunteer arrived atthe scene, the owl was no longer restingon the car but was perched precariouslyon a nearby handicap parking sign—howappropriate.A physical exam showed the male owl,TRC case 13-061, experienced some typeof collision. He suffered from mild headtrauma and was only able to fly low forshort distances. He was also a little thin,no doubt finding hunting in HennepinCounty a bit challenging. After a fewweeks of supportive care and a briefreprieve from the harsh winter weather,the owl was given a lift north, headinghim in the direction of his summer homein the boreal, or taiga, forests of northernlatitudes.Lori Arent is the clinic manager at TRCand author of Raptors in Captivity,Guidelines for Care and Management,available at www.TheRaptorCenter.org.2012 in reviewLast year, 786 sick or injured wildbirds were admitted to TRC’s clinic.The top five species were:Red-tailed hawk 166Cooper’s hawk 126Bald eagle 119Great horned owl 103Broad-winged hawk 58Nearly 50 birds were admitted withlead toxicity. Of the total number ofbald eagles admitted, 36 percent hadlead toxicity. By species, birds withlead toxicity were:Bald eagle 43Turkey vulture 3Great horned owl 1Red-tailed hawk 15