Twenty-nine sunny, well designed aviaries were constructed from 1985 to 1991, totaling 227,300 cubic feet of flight space. Trees, shrubs and natural vegetation grow inside and outside the cages. The facility was constructed by volunteers on Boulder County Parks and Open Space land and is surrounded by 1,000 acres of open farm land. It is closed to the public and is considered a large outdoor hospital. In the past 15 years, the Foundation has cared for 151 Golden Eagles, 36 Bald Eagles, and 34 Peregrine Falcons, and one Mexican Spotted Owlet.
We do not have a visitor’s center, a gift shop, or a fancy office, because all of our donations are designated for maintaining the quality of housing and care for our birds. They always come first.
In April of 1996, Valerie Gates of Denver, donated to us a new computer for access to Internet communications. This system also allows us to produce reports, records of admission, histories, and treatments of our birds. Valerie Gates also donated the Virtual Tour Web Pages, initially created by Cameron Wilhelm, a 14-year-old student from Denver, Colorado. These pages are the first of what he hopes to be many pages made for many different people.
Our philosophy relating to the care of raptors was primarily influenced by Katherine McKeever of the Owl Foundation in Ontario, Canada. It emphasizes the reduction of stress from the time of admission to the time of release. We combine intensive care and observation of ill and recuperating raptors, with non invasive treatment and the power of self-healing. Methods of treatment include minimum surgical procedures, minimum and safe amounts of drug administration, and no physical therapy. Birds receive a hands-off approach during flight recovery, and are given the freedom of self-exercise in large flight facilities.
Our average release rate is 63%. It is derived from all birds admitted in a given year, and all birds released in that year.
The Birds of Prey staff veterinarian is Dr. Lee E. Eggleston in Colorado Springs, who evaluates injured birds, prescribes medications, and repairs fractured bones. He approves of, and shares our philosophy. He has 30 years of experience in raptor care. All his services and costs are donated.
One of the most important and less attractive aspects of our program is our large breeding and holding facility of mice, quail, rats, and rabbits. It ensures the best possible diet for recuperating orphaned raptors. Fresh food is offered on a daily basis. Because of this healthy, wholesome diet, no substitute vitamins or minerals are necessary. The feeder animals are kept in humane conditions and are cared for on a daily basis. This time-consuming task is rewarded by healthy, bright-eyed, and feather perfect birds.
At the present time, over 50 volunteers donate about 10,000 hours per year to ensure a quality of life for all animals living on the premises, be they mice or birds. Our annual food requirements consists of: 1,000 rabbits, 1,000 fish, 30,000 mice, 6,000 quail, 4,000 rats, and all the roadkilled deer we can obtain.
Left: A recovered Peregrine Falcon was released in the fall of 1995. The injury sustained was a dislocated elbow. The treatment consisted of radiographs, three weeks of cage rest, followed by exercise in the circular falcon flight cage, measuring 48′x45′x18′.
In addition to the small core staff, hundreds of volunteers, community service volunteers, and student interns have donated their time and expertise. Much of the building funds were raised by volunteers who, in addition to donating labor and materials, also assist in the Birds of Prey Foundation Thrift Shop in Louisville, and participate in membership drives, and the adopt-a-bird programs.
Below: Young Great-Horned Owls are fostered by an adult, resulting in instant comfort and security for the orphans.
Young and orphaned raptors are adopted by resident foster parents to ensure healthy, social development. All young and orphaned birds must demonstrate hunting skills with live prey for several weeks prior to release.
We have incubated numerous eggs and hatched Great Horned Owls, Burrowing Owls, Northern Harriers, Mallard Ducks and Kkilldeer. All hatchlings were raised on natural, fresh food, with no vitamins or minerals added. No signs of any kind of deficiency have been noted. All young are placed with foster parents of their own species at the appropriate time and imprinting is avoided. The orphaned birds exhibit comfort and instinctive behavior in the presence of adults, which ensures normal development.
Below: A Baby Burrowing Owl is exploring his new world.
Each year, graduate and undergraduate students from the Universtity of Colorado at Boulder take advantage of our facility and study, observe, and record behavior and activities of selected birds. They are provided with the opportunity to observe captive raptors from hidden enclosures. Their studies include observation of the behavior of Burrowing Owls that have been bred in captivity by unreleaseable adults. Their offspring have been released to the wild.
Our doors are always open for fellow rehabilitators from all parts of the world! We also hold at least one Open House each year for our members!
To learn more about how do what we do continue our
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