A full house of around 150 turned out Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Madison County Extension offices on Duncannon Lane in Richmond for a special presentation of “Raptors over Richmond.” Madison County Extension Agent Brandon Sears said he did not expect such a large turnout and was very impressed by the interest.
The crowd included young and old alike who share a fascination with raptors, or ‘birds of prey.’ Volunteer representatives from Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky, a non-profit out of Louisville, shared their rehab stories and even brought some of their previous patients to Richmond. Some of the majestic birds included a Barred Owl, Kestrel (or sparrow hawk), Great Horned Owl, and a Red Tail Hawk. The purpose of the organization is to rehab and release back into in the wild. They explained the great undertaking it is for them to prevent the birds they see from ‘imprinting’ or becoming too human like and dependent to be reintroduced to the wild. Their organization sees between 400-500 birds of prey annually.
The actual ‘success stories’ were the birds who could not attend today’s demonstration and have been successfully rehabbed and released. The birds today all had extenuating circumstances that have made them permanent, and many long time, residents of the facility. These birds are used in their educational and public outreach campaigns.
The volunteers were quick to mention, if you find a young bird of prey out of its nest, unless it is obviously injured, and otherwise is feathered and alert, it’s best to leave them be. All birds go through a ‘fledgling’ stage. This is where they jump the nest but have not perfected their flight skills. This means sometimes a week or so on the ground for them, hiding in forage. During this time the parents are still feeding and tending to their needs but is a very vulnerable time for the young ones.
The session was sponsored by the Battle of Richmond Association, Powwow Association and the Madison County Extension Service. WBON-TV9 will have more on this story and video Monday on our LIVE at FIVE newscast.
