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!
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