Cascades Raptor Center
Date of visit: December 7th, 2013.
Cascades Raptor Center’s website:
Welcome to CRC
Cascades Raptor Center is located in Eugene, Oregon, and it is a non-profit establishment that was founded in 1987. There are only 4 paid staff members and dozens of volunteers, and the primary aim is to rehabilitate injured birds and return them to the wild. A large off-exhibit section focuses on approximately 200 birds each year that are returned to nature, but those that cannot make it on their own are destined to remain on site for the rest of their lives. Of the 30 species currently on display only 2 are not native to Oregon (Eurasian Eagle Owl and Saker Falcon) and it is amazing at how many large bird species can be found in the western United States.
On the day before my arrival there was a massive snowstorm throughout central Oregon and when I pulled up to the base of the parking lot at the center a “closed” sign ominously greeted my presence. I parked my little car next to a snow drift, trudged up the slick driveway and pleaded to be let into the facility as I had already driven quite a distance to get there. To have a one-hour guided tour was something that I am extremely grateful for, and I had to be followed around to ensure that I did not trip due to the walkways being completely covered with snow.
All of the aviaries (or mews as they are called at the center) are fairly rudimentary in terms of appearance and construction. Thin wooden slats are the dominant feature, with corrugated tin roofs and wire mesh fronts. A few perching opportunities via nest boxes and tree branches are in each of the mid-sized exhibits, and the signage is excellent. Apart from a detailed description and information pertaining to the species, there is also a laminated card with a lengthy story on each individual bird and how it ended up at the center. The bulk of the visitors are school groups and thus educating the public is a top priority of the facility. The largest exhibits are for the eagles and vultures, and volunteers enter into the enclosures daily to feed the animals as some of the birds are used in presentations outside of the grounds of the establishment. There is the sense that the staff is extremely dedicated and the vast majority of birds use the center simply as a rehab facility before flying off into the wilderness.
Species list = 30:
Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Red-Tailed Hawk, Rough-Legged Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Northern Harrier, Saker Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Prairie Falcon, Gyrfalcon, American Kestrel, Merlin, Turkey Vulture, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Great Horned Owl, Long-Eared Owl, Barn Owl, Barred Owl, Snowy Owl, Burrowing Owl, Northern Spotted Owl, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Screech Owl, Osprey, White-Tailed Kite, Common Raven and Black-Billed Magpie. Also, a Ferruginous Hawk is off-site and currently working with a falconer.
Date of visit: December 7th, 2013.
Cascades Raptor Center’s website:
Welcome to CRC
Cascades Raptor Center is located in Eugene, Oregon, and it is a non-profit establishment that was founded in 1987. There are only 4 paid staff members and dozens of volunteers, and the primary aim is to rehabilitate injured birds and return them to the wild. A large off-exhibit section focuses on approximately 200 birds each year that are returned to nature, but those that cannot make it on their own are destined to remain on site for the rest of their lives. Of the 30 species currently on display only 2 are not native to Oregon (Eurasian Eagle Owl and Saker Falcon) and it is amazing at how many large bird species can be found in the western United States.
On the day before my arrival there was a massive snowstorm throughout central Oregon and when I pulled up to the base of the parking lot at the center a “closed” sign ominously greeted my presence. I parked my little car next to a snow drift, trudged up the slick driveway and pleaded to be let into the facility as I had already driven quite a distance to get there. To have a one-hour guided tour was something that I am extremely grateful for, and I had to be followed around to ensure that I did not trip due to the walkways being completely covered with snow.
All of the aviaries (or mews as they are called at the center) are fairly rudimentary in terms of appearance and construction. Thin wooden slats are the dominant feature, with corrugated tin roofs and wire mesh fronts. A few perching opportunities via nest boxes and tree branches are in each of the mid-sized exhibits, and the signage is excellent. Apart from a detailed description and information pertaining to the species, there is also a laminated card with a lengthy story on each individual bird and how it ended up at the center. The bulk of the visitors are school groups and thus educating the public is a top priority of the facility. The largest exhibits are for the eagles and vultures, and volunteers enter into the enclosures daily to feed the animals as some of the birds are used in presentations outside of the grounds of the establishment. There is the sense that the staff is extremely dedicated and the vast majority of birds use the center simply as a rehab facility before flying off into the wilderness.
Species list = 30:
Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Red-Tailed Hawk, Rough-Legged Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Northern Harrier, Saker Falcon, Peregrine Falcon, Prairie Falcon, Gyrfalcon, American Kestrel, Merlin, Turkey Vulture, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Great Horned Owl, Long-Eared Owl, Barn Owl, Barred Owl, Snowy Owl, Burrowing Owl, Northern Spotted Owl, Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Screech Owl, Osprey, White-Tailed Kite, Common Raven and Black-Billed Magpie. Also, a Ferruginous Hawk is off-site and currently working with a falconer.
