OUR RAPTOR MED DATABASE HAS MILLIONS OF DATAPOINTS SPANNING OUR MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF EXISTENCE. DEVELOPED BY DR. DAVE SCOTT AND POPULATED BY OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS, THE RAPTOR MED SYSTEM TRACKS SPECIES, CAUSE OF INJURY, INJURY, FOOD AND TREATMENTS FOR THE MORE THAN 24,000 PATIENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ADMITTED TO THE RAPTOR CENTER OVER THE YEARS.
The top 15 species brought into the Raptor Rescue facility over the years are as follows:
|
1 |
Barred Owl |
5,236 |
|
2 |
Red-tailed Hawk |
4,563 |
|
3 |
Red-shouldered Hawk |
3,559 |
|
4 |
Eastern Screech Owl |
2,215 |
|
5 |
Great Horned Owl |
2,079 |
|
6 |
Cooper’s Hawk |
2,065 |
|
7 |
Black Vulture |
871 |
|
8 |
Broad-winged Hawk |
773 |
|
9 |
Barn Owl |
756 |
|
10 |
American Kestrel |
662 |
|
11 |
Turkey Vulture |
579 |
|
12 |
Sharp-shinned Hawk |
449 |
|
13 |
Osprey |
384 |
|
14 |
Bald Eagle |
219 |
|
15 |
Mississippi Kite |
72 |
WHY DO RAPTORS GET HIT BY CARS?
The #1 cause of injury is “hit by car.” Raptors are hit by cars when trash of some sort has been discarded on the highway and has attracted rodents to the side of the road. Birds of prey focus on available prey items to the exclusion of cars speeding by and are often injured or killed as a result.
OTHER ODD INJURIES SEEN AT THE RAPTOR RESCUE FACILITY
Can you believe that we have seen seven cases over the years of raptors that were hit by a train? Add that to six that were caught in glue traps, seven that were burnt in smokestacks and a whopping 65 that were caught in discarded fishing line or fishhooks, and you have some interesting stories to tell. Even more strange is the one bird that was hit by a roller coaster, another that was trampled by hogs, and three more that were impaled on lightning rods.
WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT SOME OF THESE INJURIES?
- Don’t throw trash out of your car window.
- Participate in existing highway clean-up programs.
- Use a basic snap trap or a live trap to control rodents.
- Properly dispose of fishing line and hooks in a covered trash container.
- Switch to copper shot to prevent lead poisoning.
GUNSHOT CASES ON THE RISE AT THE RAPTOR CENTER
It is always a shock when we get birds into the Raptor Rescue facility that have been shot. Because raptors are “Federally Protected” species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, it is illegal to shoot them for sport or as game.
HOW CAN I HELP?
It may sound simple but don’t shoot birds unless you can clearly determine that they are approved for game hunting and are in season.
