Handler Talk

As predators, raptors play an important role in maintaining the delicate balance of nature. At the top of their food web, they provide a critical early warning system for environmental contaminants or population declines anywhere within that web. Misunderstood and persecuted in the past (and, in some places, the present), raptors are protected by state, federal, and international laws, and are considered a critical factor in the larger ecological picture of which we are all a part. These birds have specialized dietary, housing, and handling needs - and, as consummate athletes, need to be in top physical condition in order to survive in the wild. CRC was founded to meet the unique needs of these birds and to help humans better understand and appreciate them and their role in the natural order. Our experienced hospital staff care for the sick, injured and orphaned raptors of Lane County (and occasionally beyond) with the goal of returning as many as possible to the wild.