Georgia Magazine - August 2021 - 22

quick to tell you that rehabbing
these great birds takes
they would not be able to survive in the wild, and so we care
time, patience, space, knowledge and
money. Live adult mice cost 83 cents each.
A screech owl can eat a mouse a day, but a redtailed
hawk or a great horned owl can eat six or seven
per day. There are also veterinary expenses and
the costs associated with building and maintaining
sheltering chambers for the raptors.
" We rely on donations to help these
birds, and to make extra mouse money we
offer private tours and give guests the opportunity to
handle an exotic hawk and owl, " McCord says. " We do not
receive assistance from the state or federal government. "
She explains how she is preparing two fuzzy orphaned
owlets for release.
" No matter what, I don't feed them by hand, and my contact
with them is minimal, " she says. " When they are old enough, I'll
place mice in a wading pool or on a hack board near the pond.
They'll learn to swoop down and get a meal. Then at some point,
they'll see live food on my property, and they'll dive for it. That's
when I'll know they can hunt for themselves. "
Some birds simply fly away one day to find new territory;
some are taken back to their home territory for release. But
some birds never can be returned to the wild.
Feathered ambassadors
Thirty non-releasable birds of prey call Roswell's Chattahoochee
Nature Center (CNC) their permanent home and are
used for educational purposes. The center rehabs 300 raptors
each year.
" Some [non-releasable raptors] have mental issues from
head trauma. Others have physical injuries and limitations,
and others were illegally hand-raised, and for those reasons,
Swallow-tailed kite
for them, " says Kathryn Dudeck, the CNC's wildlife director.
" People often ask us, 'Why not let nature take its course?'
Humans are directly or indirectly responsible for most
of the raptors we treat and care for, and we feel it
is our moral and ethical obligation to care for
them-to create balance. "
Human activities often have unintended
consequences for birds
of prey. Examples include
felling a tree that houses
a hawk's nest, erecting
a barbed wire fence or
using poison around
the house.
" A homeowner puts out rat poison to eliminate rats or
mice, " she says. " A rodent eats the poison. If an owl or a hawk
catches the rodent and feeds it to a nest of babies, she poisons
the entire brood. Sometimes they make it, and sometimes
they don't. "
About 20 of the permanent-resident raptors at the CNC are
on exhibit each day and have stepped into the role of educational
ambassadors. Others are glove-trained for school, Scouting
and club presentations, offering a more personal experience for
the audience.
" Having the opportunity to see one of [our] glove-trained
hawks, owls or falcons up close is a memorable experience, "
Dudeck says. " Typically, they are only seen when flying
overhead.
" Visitors learn about the natural history of the species,
how human activities impact the birds and how to create a
wildlife-friendly environment to ensure these beautiful raptors
can thrive. "
Amber Lanier Nagle is an Adairsville-based freelance writer.
Find help for a raptor
If you suspect a raptor is injured, abandoned or in distress,
visit Animal Help Now at ahnow.org to locate a licensed raptor
rehabilitator in your area. If you have questions or would like to
make a donation, here are a few raptor rehabbers in Georgia:
* HawkTalk, Cherokee County, (770) 720-1847, hawktalk.org
* Chattahoochee Nature Center, Fulton County, (770) 992-2055,
chattnaturecenter.org
* Laurens Wildlife Rescue, Laurens County, (478) 697-5319,
laurenswildliferescue.org
* Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Eff ort (AWARE) Wildlife Center,
DeKalb County, (678) 418-1111, awarewildlife.org
Left: Naturalist Larry Stevens of the Chattahoochee
Nature Center in Roswell holds a red-shouldered hawk
during an educational program.
22 Georgia Magazine August 2021
TODD SCHNEIDER
COURTESY CHATTAHOOCHEE NATURE CENTER
http://www.ahnow.org http://www.hawktalk.org http://www.chattnaturecenter.org http://www.laurenswildliferescue.org http://www.awarewildlife.org
Georgia Magazine - August 2021

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