Adopt a Raptor
Raptors need your help! Please consider adopting a raptor to cover the food and care costs on a monthly basis.
Blackland Prairie Raptor Center’s education birds of prey are the highlight of our outreach programming. Their purpose is to inspire our audiences to think about and actively participate in helping preserve raptors and the environment for generations to come. Though these education ambassadors have been given names, we must respect them as wild animals. As you read their stories, remember that these birds began their lives as wild creatures and came to us after humans had a negative impact on them. It must be stressed that the birds of Blackland Prairie Raptor Center are and always will remain wild birds of prey, not pets. All of our raptor ambassadors have come to BPRC with circumstances that make them non-releasable and they would not be able to survive on their own in the wild. They have become the ambassadors for all wild birds of prey by educating the public about the issues concerning their future.
All adoptions include |
| An adoption certificate |
| A beautiful 4” x 6” photograph suitable for framing |
| A personal biography of your bird and natural history of the species |
| ***Your adoption is symbolic and your donation will be used to offset food and medical costs for “your bird” and others of its species. |
LokiLoki came to us after he was admitted into BPRC’s rehabilitation clinic in April of 2020 as a nestling. He was being raised by his vulture parents in someone’s barn. The people who owned the barn didn’t realize that there was a family of vultures living there and when they tore down the barn, they discovered two nestling black vultures. Unfortunately, Loki’s sibling didn’t survive the demolition. However, they took in Loki with good intentions and fed him for a week. Vultures imprint on people very easily because they are highly intelligent and social creatures. When he was brought to us, it was obvious that he had imprinted on people and was deemed non-releasable. Details:
|
PetuniaPetunia came to us after she was admitted into BPRC’s rehabilitation clinic in February of 2020 as a second year bird. A concerned citizen called about her. She had been raised by him and was living on his property. However, he couldn’t care for her anymore and he knew that she wouldn’t make it in the wild on her own. She was deemed non-releasable because of human imprinting*. She was transferred to the education department. Details:
|
CharlotteCharlotte came to us after she was admitted to BPRC’s rehabilitation clinic in the spring of 2023 as a fledgling. It was quickly realized that she had no fear of humans so was deemed imprinted and transferred to our education department. Her name was chosen at our yearly fundraising Gala and she is now being trained as an Ambassador bird for our organization. Details:
|
|
GenesisGenesis came to us after her retirement in October of 2019. She had been a falconer’s bird for many years. We gladly added her to our education program. Details:
|
RGRG came to us after he was transferred to us from a facility in Florida in the summer of 2020, as a first year bird. That facility deemed him non-releasable because of human imprinting. They received him as a nestling and didn’t have the space to keep him as a permanent resident. We gladly added him to our education program. Details:
|
MissiMissi came to us after she was admitted into BPRC’s rehabilitation clinic in the summer of 2017 as an orphan. She was deemed non-releasable when we noticed her lack of fear for humans, making her a human imprint*. She was transferred to the education department soon after. Details:
|
GingerGinger is a red morph screech owl that came to us from a raptor center in Illinois along with her sister Pepper in May 2021. Born just one month earlier, both were bred to be program animals and started training here at our education department to be Ambassador birds for our organization. Details:
|
Sweet PeaSweet Pea came to us after she hatched in the spring of 2003 and was found by a family who took her home and kept her in a rabbit cage. The family realized it was illegal to have her and took her to the appropriate authorities. She was found to be in good condition, however she is imprinted on humans*, making her non-releasable. She was transferred to BPRC in August 2004 to become an education ambassador. Details:
|
PepperPepper came to us from a raptor center in Illinois along with her sister Ginger in May 2021. Born just one month earlier, both were bred to be program animals and started training here at our education department to be Ambassador birds for our organization. Details:
|
WilburWilbur came to us after he was admitted into BPRC’s rehabilitation clinic in the spring of 2016 as an orphan. He was deemed non-releasable when we noticed his lack of fear for humans, making him a human imprint*. He was transferred to the education department soon after. Details:
|
CleoCleo came to us after he was admitted into BPRC’s rehabilitation clinic in the spring of 2016 as an orphan. She was deemed non-releasable when we noticed her lack of fear for humans, making her a human imprint*. She was transferred to the education department soon after. Details:
|
IrisIris came to us after she was admitted into BPRC’s rehabilitation clinic in the summer of 2020 as a fledgling. A concerned citizen called about her. She was being raised and fed by the neighborhood folks and the concerned citizen knew she wouldn’t make it in the wild on her own. She was deemed non-releasable because of human imprinting*. She was transferred to the education department soon after. Details:
|
*Note:
There is no guarantee that a specific bird will be at a specific program or event. If you would like to meet “your bird” in person, please make a reservation for our Behind the Scenes Tour.
*Human Imprint
Human imprinting occurs when people take a bird out of the wild within days or weeks after hatching, and care for it. Most think they are saving a bird’s life when they take it home and feed it, but unknown to them, they can cause a life-long problem. A young bird becomes imprinted on whomever is feeding it. Many don’t realize that imprinting occurs, at all, and that it happens in the first few weeks of a bird’s life, which is the critical learning period of brain development. When people feed baby birds, the bird learns that people are its sole food source. Imprinting is a permanent, non-reversible type of mental injury. Imprinted raptors cannot be returned to the wild because they don’t fear humans, they cannot hunt for themselves, and they cannot recognize predators or dangers in the wild. These are all things they must learn from their bird parents in order to survive. Human imprinting occurs more often than it should because most people don’t know about it. This is why BPRC created the Nest is Best campaign. To learn more, please visit our rehab page.
***Disclaimer: It is illegal to take in and raise any native bird species in the United States. Federal and state government permits are required to care for these birds.