Educational Programs

Bald eagles

Thora (top) was admitted in early 2011 as a very sick bird. She had no physical injuries but very underweight. A blood test revealed her BLL to be above 20 µg/dL, indicating lead poisoning. She was rehydrated, fed, and received three weeks of chelation therapy to remove the lead from her body. While she gained weight and grew stronger, her vision was still impaired. After a test in the flight pen confirmed that she couldn't see well enough to fly with confidence, she was transferred to the education permit. Thora is named in honor of a friend who died in 2009 in Afghanistan working with a government contractor. Photo by C. Hansen

Spirit (middle) was admitted in March of 2000 as a hatch year 1999 bird -- she had most probably flew into a powerline and had a compound fracture of the radius and ulna in her left wing. She spent many days on the ground before a local farmer realized she was there and needed help. By this time, she was starving, dehydrated, and had dying tissue in her injured wing. This required a partial amputation to save her life. She has adjusted quite well to being a program bird - being so young on admission. She weighs 10 lbs.

Liberty (bottom) was admitted in Dec. of 2001 -- as a hatch year 2001 bird -- he also had spent time on the ground with a non-compound fractured humerus. The humerus had been broken in two places, near his shoulder joint -- leaving the bone in three pieces. By the time a local landowner near the Raccoon River noticed he could not fly and he was rescued, the humerus had healed quite a bit -- there was too much calcification to do any kind of surgery on the site. The weight of the wing pulled and tilted it forward and it had healed out of position leaving Liberty unable to fly. He weighs in at 8.5 lbs.

• The "Listen to the Eagle" DVD will help you learn more about bald eagles.
• Life history of the bald eagle from Cornell Lab or Ornithology

Red-tailed hawk

This bird came in as a hatch-year bird in 2008 with a broken wing tip. The wing tip died and the dead tissue sloughed off leaving him with no flight feathers on that side. Photo by C. Hansen.

• Life history of the red-tailed hawk from Cornell Lab or Ornithology

Broad-winged hawk

He had a fractured right humerus that had already healed prior to admission. The broken edges of the bone overlapped and fused side-by-side leaving that wing non-functional. He has been at SOAR since 2001.

• Life history of the broad-winged hawk from Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Great horned owl

He came in with West Nile Virus in 2005. He recovered from the virus, but the virus damaged both retinas. He is now vision impaired. When he does fly, he flies very cautiously like someone walking in an unfamiliar, dark room.

• Life history of the great horned owl from Cornell Lab or Ornithology

Snowy owl

This male snowy owl was a January 2012 patient. His shoulder and wing injuries do not allow for sustained flight to hunt or migrate.

• Life history of the snowy owl from Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Barred owl

This owl was hit by a car and had a fractured humerus that was too close to the elbow for surgery. When the injury healed, the elbow joint was impacted and she can't fully extend that wing.

• Life history of the barred owl from Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Long-eared owl

Not positive of how injuries happened, but similar to other birds that have been tangled in barbed-wire. The left wing tip was injured and was amputated. This owl has been at SOAR since 2002. Photo by Alan Stankevitz, Iwishicouldfly.com.

• Life history of the long-eared owl from Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Screech owl

The gray phase screech owl suffered a concussion and eye injuries, probably hit by a car. Large eyes and head trauma result in shaking up and damage to eye structures. Our vets can actually scope raptor eyes and determine specific damage. The screech owl has damage to the nerves that control his iris - so it does not contract to limit the amount of light entering the eye (pupil stays large/dilated even in daylight) this limits this owls vision. He does very well in his enclosure, finding food and water and comfortable perches. In the wild his eyesight would not be good enough for him to successfully hunt and escape other larger predators. Photo by C. Hansen.

• Life history of the screech owl from Cornell Lab or Ornithology

Saw-whet owl

He came from Cass County in 2007 with a fractured right radius/ulna and opposite leg. The radius and ulna fused together and so lost the ability to rotate that wing, which is how birds steer and get lift. He is non-flighted. Photo by Alan Stankevitz, Iwishicouldfly.com.

• Life history of the saw-whet owl from Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Peregrine falcon

She landed on an ornamental windmill (metal yard type) and got wrapped up in the blades and her left wing tip got chopped off. She came from Humboldt County in 2004.

• Life history of the peregrine falcon from Cornell Lab of Ornithology

American kestrel

Our male kestrel, Blaze, is a human imprint. Someone found him as a very young chick and did not realize they could not legally raise him nor did they know the imprinting process that birds go through. He saw humans during the critical nestling phase and no adult kestrels. He thinks he is a person or we are all kestrels! :/ He does not know how to behave around other kestrels and shows no fear of things he would need to avoid to survive in the wild, i.e. cats, dogs, people, etc. He does not have the kestrel social skills to hold a territory and form a wild pair bond with a female kestrel, so would not be a reproductive benefit to the wild population. This story highlights the importance of our non-imprinted education birds being able to act as foster parents and models for incoming young birds. Photo by C. Hansen.

• Life history of the American kestrel from Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Prairie falcon

She crash landed in a bush and had twig debris embedded in her mouth lining and right wing tip. She had to have surgery to remove the debris. The debris damaged her wrist joint (which is "behind" where the primaries attach to the wing) and she can't fully extend that wing. She came to SOAR in 2006.

• Life history of the prairie falcon from Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Gyrfalcon

This captive-bred bird was used in falconry until a barb-wire injury forced a career change. She is no longer able to fly well enough to hunt. Sandy came to SOAR in 2010 at the age of seven.

• Life history of the gyrfalcon from Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Osprey

This education bird earns his keep being a good role model for osprey patients and when young osprey to be released are at SOAR. He's a "model eater" which helps the others eat.

• Life history of the osprey from Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Common Barn Owl

This owl was transferred from the Omaha Raptor Team in 2006 when they disbanded.  He was originally on the education permit, then moved to propagation permit. With fertility issues, this bird was moved back to the education permit in 2011. Photo by Alan Stankevitz, Iwishicouldfly.com.

• Life history of the barn owl from Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Short-eared owl

This short eared owl was admitted with a compound humerus fracture near the left shoulder joint. Healing limited shoulder joint function and the bird cannot fly. It is permanently non-releaseable. Suspect a car or impact trauma…not much other damage. At SOAR since early 2011. Photo by Alan Stankevitz, Iwishicouldfly.com.

• Life history of the short-eared owl from Cornell Lab of Ornithology