Although most birds migrate south for the winter, some special birds stopped by Marine Park for the ninth annual Raptorama!
More than 300 bird lovers and avian photographers gathered at the Salt Marsh Nature Center, at 3301 Avenue U, on Saturday afternoon, October 17th, to see raptors up close and personal.
Organized by Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation (WINORR), the NYC Bird Alliance, the American Littoral Society and the Marine Park Alliance (MPA) Forever Wild Committee, Raptorama! is an invaluable event for Marine Park. Unfortunately, these raptors, also known as birds of prey (carnivorous hunter birds), were gravely injured and, though rehabilitated, can’t reintegrate into the wild. Animal care organizations host events like Raptorama! so New Yorkers can interact with these fascinating birds, see their wings, talons and eyes up close, and even pet them, if allowed.
“Events like this are important because not a lot of New Yorkers get the opportunity to come up close and personal with wildlife and nature very often,” MPA Program and Communications Manager Elliot Ma said.
Fan favorites from years past made a return appearance, including Montana, an American bald eagle; Augie, an Eurasian eagle-owl; and Echo, a barn owl. Montana was injured in the Hamptons and is unable to see out of his right eye, while Utah, a golden eagle, was injured when he accidentally touched the wrong combination of wires; he got electrocuted and burned a portion of his wings, which had to be amputated.
The bird handler told spectators many facts about each bird, their habitats, diets and specific features, such as a barn owl detecting mice from up to 90 feet away or an American kestrel being the tiniest falcon in the Americas. “Wildlife education is probably the most rewarding aspect of it; it’s shortening the gap between people and wildlife. It’s literally right here in NYC; you could see it today. We saw a red-tailed hawk swoop down and a bald eagle soaring overhead,” Tania Scaduto, a licensed falconer with WINORR, said. “Anytime we can bring a wild animal close up to a person, it plants awareness, and awareness is the seed to advocacy. That’s really what we hope: to get people to advocate for these animals that share this environment with us.’”
If you missed the Marine Park event, there will be another Raptorama! at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, November 7th.
