Adopt an Orphan

Mid-spring in Colorado marks the start of the BUSY season at the Foundation. By late summer each year BOP will have taken in around 100 orphaned baby raptors! That’s quite a lot in and of itself. But what’s more is the surprising amounts of food and care these young birds need during their first few months. Baby birds grow at an astonishing rate - after all, they must be fully grown and able to fend for themselves within the course of just one short summer.

Imagine your toddler loudly demanding and consuming a couple of steaks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. Many baby raptors consume 3-4 times as much food as what a grown adult bird eats! During their first 6 weeks young birds often double their size every other day until, in just a couple of months, they are the very same size as their parents. One baby Barn Owl needs 10-13 mice per day! One baby American Kestrel eats 3 or 4! All that growing during this crucial period requires exactly the right food, prepared fresh and lots of it, to build the strong bones, keen eyes, perfect feathers, and healthy bodies essential to survive the toughest year of their lives: the first one.

You can help us bring these beautiful young birds along to adulthood. You can adopt one!

To download a printable adoption form and read more about this year’s arrivals; click HERE

Adopt an Orphan - Online

American Kestrel $25		Screech Owl $35
Long-Eared Owl $65		Saw Whet Owl $65
Burrowing Owl $65		Northern Harrier $70
Cooper’s Hawk $70		Barn Owl $70
Great Horned Owl $100		Turkey Vulture $100.00
Red Tailed Hawk $250		NEW! Monthly payments of $21.00
Swainson’s Hawk $250		NEW! Monthly payments of $21.00
Peregrine Falcon $500		NEW! Monthly payments of $45.00
Golden Eagle $1,000		NEW! Monthly payments of $85.00
Bald Eagle $1,000		NEW! Monthly payments of $85.00

Wish List

In-Kind Donations

We also gratefully accept donations of materials needed for the every day maintenance of our facility. Below is a list of our current or ongoing needs.

Fragrance-free laundry soap
Dawn Dishwashing Soap
Antibacterial Soft Soap
Pine Sol or Lysol
Scrub brushes
Kitchen dish brushes
Brooms
Mops
Green Daisey Mat astro turf -X100 foot roll
Leaf Rakes
Metal Rakes
Rodent Feed
Poultry feed - Manna Pro Game Bird Starter & Game Bird Breeder
Kitty Litter
Toilet Paper
Paper Towels
55 gallon plastic trash bags
white 8 1/2 X 11 copier paper
white 81/2 X 11 ink jet printer paper
white legal envelopes
81/2 X 11 white envelopes
23, 37, 55 cent stamps
Wood Shavings (not cedar)
Straw for rabbit bedding
Cardboard animal carriers
Sand for cage floors
InkJet Photo Paper
InkJet color and black ink cartridges

A golf cart

If you have donated materials, please fill out our online In-Kind Donation form.

We are a non-profit 501(C)(3) organization whose mission is:

treating injured and orphaned wildlife, primarily raptors, such as eagles, hawks, falcons
and owls and return healthy members of the breeding population to their natural habitat;

fostering compassion for wildlife in distress and teach new generations through mentorships, internships, lectures, and volunteer programs;

working to continuously improve the quality of care and housing of captive raptors everywhere through education; observation, invention and exemplary ethics in
their treatment and husbandry.

seeking protection for raptors in the wild through education, invention and intervention.

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Last updated on 28 July 2008

Site Map

Statistics & Release Rates

Year	Admissions	DOA	Releases	Percentage
1982	90		56	62%
1983	150		105	70%
1984	181		107	59%
1985	255		186	72%
1986	279		170	61%
1987	288		164	57%
1988	350		225	64%
1989	385		240	62%
1990	262		173	66%
1991	367		237	65%
1992	349		216	62%
1993	504		271	54%
1994	440		310	70%
1995	388		235	61%
1996	419		259	62%
1997	410	45*	255	70%
1998	497	20*	322	68%
1999	480	26*	283	62%
2000	517	26*	328	67%
2001	444	24*	296	70%
2002	530	27*	290	58%
2003	455	22*	203	45%
2004	434	24*	294	71%
2005	464	19*	220	49%
2006	468	21*	268	60%
2007	427	21*	226	55%
TOTALS	9837		5989	62%

In 2007 we cared for 37 species of birds. 62 birds (15%) were treated for diseases ranging from West Nile Virus and Trichomoniasis to Avian Pox and Aspergillosis. The release rate reflects all birds admitted in one year and all birds released in this year. *21 DOA (Dead on Arrival) birds were deducted to arrive at the release rate. These statistics were calculated according to the National Standards and Guidelines for Wildlife Rehabilitators.

Introduction

to Stories

Proximity to these proud and graceful creatures almost always inspires awe in those of us fortunate enough to have the opportunity. The beauty of soft and silent wings, fierce and golden or dark and intelligent eyes, the intricate patterns of color on feathers, those fine ancient talons and beak, the mighty effort of hatching, and the playful antics of young and growing minds all inspire a great range of feeling both in those who visit and work daily amongst the birds.

The efforts involved in healing the injured, rearing the orphaned without impression, and the ensuing work of fund-raising, educational programs, general animal husbandry, food stock breeding, new construction, and maintenance have created many opportunities for people with all sorts of skills to participate. Such work creates a richness of human interaction and creativity as well.

These pages are a collection of anecdotes and articles, essays and poetry that have arisen, and continue to do so, as a result of our efforts, experiences, as well as those stories known or perceived as of a few of the many injured or orphaned, but often resilient birds that have passed through our facility. Sometimes they are happy. Sometimes they are heart-breaking. Sometimes they are both.

We believe such stories speak of the human impact this endeavor achieves, which is as much a product of the Foundation’s work as the successful rehabilitation and release back to freedom of the thousands of injured and orphaned raptors over the lifetime of the organization.

Enjoy!

Elke Edwards

Donations

If you would like to make a donation, you can do so online via PayPal by clicking the button below:

Or mail your check to:

Birds of Prey Foundation
2290 S. 104th Street
Broomfield, Co 80020

Make checks payable to: Birds of Prey Foundation

In-kind donations

We also accept in kind donations of items needed for the every day maintenance of our facility. Please see our wish list for current needs.

If you have donated materials, please fill out our online In-Kind Donation form.

Aquila - Raising a Golden Eagle

Story added from previous website.

5/31/99

I received this five-week-old Golden Eagle chick in May of 1999. He was found on the ground, very emaciated, with severe wounds to the back on 4/11/99, he was cared for by a rehabilitator in Delta, Colorado, and flown here yesterday. She did a beautiful job caring for the bird-he tripled in size under her care. Upon admission the bird was placed in a kennel facing the “Fugitive,” an adult Golden who is recovering quite well from his fractured femur.

Today I examined, cleaned, washed, and preened the bird thoroughly and my photograph exhibits a few problems. The right wing droops, but no fractures were found. The possibility of elbow injury exists, which may not be detectable until the primaries grow. The wing hangs. I placed a very, very loose band of vet-rap around the wing and body to provide light support and encourage the muscles and bone to grow into the proper conformation.

When I look at the photograph I also noticed that the head formation is asymmetrical. Hunger-stress marks are apparent all over the feathers. The tail feathers are twisted and breaking off. Still, what a lovely bird! Has he escaped the relentless pursuit of brother “Cain,” who is likely still in the nest? The photo also reveals how much he likes his food. Look at that crop!

I named him Aquila. I will continue my photo essay on his progress.

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5/14/99

I left the vet-rap immobilization on him for three days. The light band I put around his wing and body actually became snug - that’s how fast he grows! He is now holding his right wing up, but slightly out. Look at those gorgeous ballerina leggings! The feathers are growing well and are becoming shiny. The wounds on his back have healed and there are feathers growing everywhere! There are a few “dandy lion plumes” left on his head. The others are floating all over the ICU. He lives on soft blankets and towels in a 500 Kennel, that is tied onto a cart with wheels. I have an Eagle Stroller! He looks at the Fugitive all day.

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Aquila’s sudden development was amazing! He was no longer an infant content to eat enormously, sleep, and grow to match his appetite. He outgrew his accommodations rapidly and became bored with life. Even though he vocalized to the eagle in his view, there was nothing else to do but play with his food. He was also taking an intense interest in anything different, such as our fingers when changing his bedding. It was high time to move him outside and provide him with activities. On 5/28/99 I took the last pictures of him in the ICU.

He had changed significantly in appearance. All his body feathers are black now, and only the head remains white, with copper colored feathers growing in. The damaged right wing had resolved itself with support and growth - his wing was functioning properly.

Aquila explored his new home and enjoyed climbing to high places. He found the water container especially intriguing.

Fugitive, the Golden with the fractured femur, went with him into the much larger (20′x10′x12′) cage. I rated the temperament of this Golden, believed to be a male, as impatient and restless. This bird needed to move on to the 108-foot flight cage. He did not pay much attention to Aquila, but tolerated him.

On occasion, he would land next to the youngster, Aquila exhibiting submissive posture each time this happened. The fledgling lowered his head in submission and froze in this position when the adult male was close by. It made me uncomfortable. The adult male was moved into the large flight cage, where he seems much more comfortable.

A female golden eagle, Magi, was placed with Aquila on 6-9-99. Magi is about 4 years old, and suffered from a collision with a vehicle. She is blind in one eye, and fractured her wrist, and for some reason refuses to go to high places in the large flight cage. The young bird was intrigued by his new foster parent and eyed her from every angle and direction. Magi is gentle, very beautiful, and has sweet, soft eyes.

Eventually they ended up perching side by side. Aquila (above left) appears to be comfortable in her presence. Later that evening he settled down on another shelf perch for the night. I left them tonight with the good feeling that Aquila may have finally found his role model. Cheers for Magi! Love to beautiful Magi! And a speedy recovery for the Fugitive, who was Aquila’s role model for the first weeks in his life.

He is uncomfortable in the presence of humans and I do attribute his behavior to the lack of human contact, and his role model, Magic Magi. He does not appear to be bonded or imprinted on humans. It is my impression that he never wanted to, instead his attitude has always been one of independence. During his recovery he received the necessary care, love and attention when he needed it most. The careful nurturing in his infant days, and the necessary assistance in the healing of his wounds provided him with enough space to develop his own identity. And by all means, he has developed a personality! Like so many other babies I raised, it is often hard to let go. But they are not ours to keep.

I will always recognize him and admire the wide-eyed, innocent, and expressive look in his eyes. Tomorrow he and Magi will join three Bald Eagles and five Golden Eagles in the flight cage. A moment I have anticipated for quite some time.

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7/13/99

Today we netted and caught Aquila and moved him into the flight cage. He behaved just like any other eagle I have handled in the past. Afraid, upset and ready to leave human hands for good! He wasted no time to flutter and run to the opposite side of the 108-foot long eagle cage.

When he arrived at the other end of the cage he boldly proceeded to climb the ladder to the highest place in the cage.Then he realized that there were other Goldens present in these high places. Aquila is the eagle on the far right. What a great surprise!

For now he is safe and he will remain here until next spring. He will learn the hierarchy in the cage, find his place, and obey the rules. He will learn to associate with other eagles, and find out when it will be his turn to eat, bathe, or where he will be allowed to perch. From now until his release he will practice pursuing dark colored bunnies in the high grasses that grow in the cage.

The little eagle that was not meant to live survived and will spend his winter here. Some day next spring he will return to the southern parts of Colorado, the place that was his home for such short time in his life. Without the wonderful initial care by Jeanie Carlson, a rehabilitator in Delta, Colorado, he would not have lived.

Many thanks to Michael Maya Charles, who not only flew little Aquila in his private plane from Delta to Erie, but also fell in love with him. For his birthday Michael’s wife adopted Aquila for him as a gift. He received a beautiful certificate with a baby picture of Aquila.

Sigrid

Who We Are

Birds of Prey Foundation Board of Directors

President, Executive Director, Chair of the Board: Sigrid Ueblacker
Vice President: Heidi Bucknam
Secretary: Brenda Leap
Treasurer: Beverly Capron
Webmaster, consultant: Elke Edwards
Director at Large: Robert H. Lowdermilk
BOP Veterinarian, advisor, consultant: Dr. Lee Eggleston

About The Founder

Sigrid Noll Ueblacker has been a licensed rehabilitator since 1981, and has cared for numerous species of birds, but specializes in raptors. Sigrid has admitted more than 9400 birds since then.

Each year between 450 and 500 birds are admitted at the Foundation. Some birds arrive from other states for pre-release preparation.

In 2006 we admitted our 9,000th bird. Even though we are an organization/center, based on 8,000 hours of volunteer work, the care of our birds is very intense and specialized. Sigrid’s home is only a few wingbeats away from the Intensive Care Unit, which includes six rooms with numerous cages, holding a maximum of 60 birds. If necessary, individual, around the clock care is insured. To reduce stress of captivity, great attention is placed on individual care by one person at a time to cares for, feed, clean or medicate the birds. The treatment of the birds is supervised by Sigrid on a daily basis.

In the image above, the adult Swainson’s Hawk on the left suffered from a fractured ulna after a collision with a vehicle. His bone healed perfectly without surgery. He needed cage rest and consequent exercise in our large aviary. The young Swainson’s Hawk in the center was admitted after a collision with a power line. Both wings were injured and she was lucky to have survived. The Swainson’s Hawk on the right had trauma to her spine and refused to stand for more than four long, painful weeks. However, she never hesitated to charge us ferociously each time we offered minced food, or when we changed her bedding. Then, one day she decided to stand, perch, and tear up and eat her own food. She had healed her injuries. With supportive care her condition improved almost over night. These are some of the lucky, precious birds that were released in Eastern Colorado on the 21st of September 2006.

“If you don’t love whatever you do, you will never, ever be successful” – Donald Trump. We love our work! And most of all, we love our birds!

Thanks

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