Blog - General
Statewide Fund Raiser for Raptor Recovery of Nebraska
Raptor Recovery of Nebraska is celebrating their 35th year of providing critical care services and support for injured and orphaned birds of prey. Founded in 1976, Nebraska’s Raptor Recovery program is an organization of hardworking volunteers who for 35 years have dedicated themselves to rescuing and rehabilitating injured, sick, and orphaned raptors. Species include falcons, hawks, owls, merlins, ospreys and eagles. Raptor Recovery Nebraska’s network extends across the state where volunteers of this non-profit organization rescue birds transporting them back to the raptor center in Elmwood, NE where they receive medical treatment.
In 2010 Raptor Recovery Nebraska admitted 471 injured and orphaned birds of prey into their newly acquired hospital facility at the raptor center in Elmwood, NE. Some years the number can exceed 600 birds. The cost of veterinary services, medications, equipment, housing and food for these majestic birds can run from hundreds to several thousand dollars per week depending on the number of birds at the center at any one time. The funding for these expenses is primarily paid for through small grants, donations, and outreach programs. The balance of the expenses comes from the pockets of RRN’s dedicated volunteers.
To date RRN has cared for more than 10,000 birds of prey including an increasing number of Bald Eagles that have become sick or injured due to human activities. Lead poisoning, gunshots, and collisions with automobiles are a few of the impacts people have on eagles. The raptors brought to the center are cared for around the clock, restored to health, and if at all possible released back into the wild. Of the more than 10,000 birds cared for by Raptor Recovery Nebraska over the past 35 years they have successfully released nearly 60% of these birds back into the wild. Without the intervention of this dedicated group of people none of these birds would have survived. Their efforts have made Raptor Recovery Nebraska one of the leading raptor recovery programs in the United Statessharing their expertise with rehabilitators across the country.
Some rescued birds have been so severely injured they cannot be fully rehabilitated. These non-releasable birds are put into breeding programs, used as ‘foster parents’ for orphaned raptors, or provide valuable research information, while many others are featured in the hundreds of RRN’s educational outreach programs across Nebraska.
During the month of June the Wild Bird Habitat Stores in Lincoln, NE will be hosting our annual fundraiser for Raptor Recovery Nebraska with a goal of raising $4000.00. Over the past several years Wild Bird Habitat has raised and donated more than $8000.00 for the raptor center. Your tax deductible donations for Raptor Recovery Nebraska can be made in person at any Wild Bird Habitat Store in Lincoln in the AlamoPlaza, 56th & Hwy 2 or 4840 Orchard Street and at the Wild Bird Habitat Store in Omaha at the Harrison Village Mall, 168th & Harrison. Donations may also be mail to the Wild Bird Habitat Store, AlamoPlaza, 5601 South 56th Street, Lincoln, NE68516.
To help celebrate Raptor Recovery Nebraska’s 35th Anniversary Wild Bird Habitat will be sponsoring a program by Raptor Recovery on Saturday, June 18th from 10:00am to 2:00pm at our south Lincoln location in the parking lot of the AlamoPlazaShopping Center at 56th & Hwy 2. Visitors will enjoy viewing owls, hawks, and falcons with a special appearance by Remington the Bald Eagle. They will also learn first hand how this remarkable group of people passionately dedicate themselves to the recovery of our birds of prey that fall into peril so that we may continue to enjoy watching them soar the skies over head now and into the future.
Learn more about Raptor Recovery Nebraska