Rescuing Raptors: Stories About Birds of Prey Rescues

The longer a bird of prey is on the ground, the less chance it has of surviving. Nancy McDonald discusses this and what you, the finder, can do. Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years. She started out transporting sick and injured birds of prey and moved onto rescuing, renesting and releasing raptors in Maryland, p...

What should you do if you come across a baby bird of prey on the ground, out of the nest? Listen to this episode to discover what you can to help baby raptors get renested safely. About Nancy McDonald: Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years. She started out transporting sick and injured birds of prey and moved onto...

One of the most dramatic - and risk-laden rescues - are water rescues. Tune in now to hear how to plan ahead for a water rescue. This is what you'll learn: The gear you'll need to keep you safe Rescue technique Safety considerations Water conditions Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years. She started out tr...

People who want to be part of rehabbing raptors don't always want to do the rescues, but just as importantly, they can transport the sick, injured or orphaned bird of prey to the rehabber. In this episode, I go over the basic do's and don'ts of successfully transporting raptors. Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for o...

Rescuing wildlife can be dangerous. In this episode, I talk about the safety considerations that should be factored in before you hit the ground running to rescue a hawk, eagle or owl. These safety considerations include: High crime areas Bad weather Water rescues Hostile terrain The birds themselves You'll learn some of the things I do for myself to stay safe while rescuing birds of prey. Nan...

Usually when I renest a baby bird, it's a cause for celebration on a very small scale. However, my very first baby raptor renesting was a large party - in honor of the owl! It turned out well for everyone, but especially for the baby owl - give it a listen! Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years. She started ou...

Did you know birds, including raptors, are federally protected here in the U.S.? Did you also know that our two eagle species - the Bald and Golden - have additional protection? If not, tune in to this episode and hear a brief description of these two federal acts. If you ever decide you'd like to work with birds of prey, it's a good idea to understand what these acts are about. Nancy is a volunte...

Sadly, most of the injured raptors we rescue are hurt in ways that can be avoided. In this episode, I'm going to talk about the five most common ways I am called out to rescue injured birds of prey. They are: Car strikes window strikes lead poisoning rodenticide fishing line entanglements  Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues f...

In this episode, I talk about why it's not in the best interests of raptors to be kept by humans who are not permitted to treat wildlife. I talk about the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that protects birds of prey and I also talk about my approach to getting people to surrender birds of prey they've picked up. About Nancy McDonald : Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinatin...

Every raptor rescuer wants to save sick or injured bald eagles. The first one is always a capture to remember. My first bald eagle rescue caused a traffic jam in Washington DC! Listen to the episode to hear how that went down. Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years. She started out transporting sick and injured bir...

You never forget your first large raptor rescue, especially if it's an osprey. In this episode, I share my story with you. It includes early April temps in the 40's, 40MPH winds, diving into the Magothy River in a bathing suit and crawling on hands and knees to save an osprey. Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years...

People ask me "How can I start rescuing raptors?" In this episode, I talk about: Don't despair if you can't find a wildlife rescue organization devoted to birds of prey - pretty much all wildlife rehabbers accept sick, injured and orphaned raptors Making the commitment to be available and reliable Pairing up with an experienced rescuer to learn techniques Complying with the organization's training...

There is some basic equipment you'll need to rescue birds of prey. I start out listing the most common items and why they're important for safely rescuing raptors, then I talk a little about some specialized equipment that helps me when I'm out capturing injured/sick birds of prey. About me: Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for...

People ask me all the time " what's it like to rescue raptors ?"  I'm glad they ask, and here are some answers to basic questions: How often do you get called out to rescue birds of prey? What are the conditions like when you do rescues? What happens after you rescue/capture the raptor? And more... About Nancy McDonald : Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating...

I'm introducing myself - I'm Nancy McDonald, a raptor rescuer here in Maryland. This episode outlines some of the topics I'll be talking about in the future. What's it like to rescue raptors Top 5 causes of raptor injuries/illnesses - fishing line, HBV, window strikes, rodenticide, lead poisoning What equipment do you use to rescue raptors How can I get started rescuing raptors Raptor transport ba...