EarthWings - raptor care and rehabilitation

Raptor Rehabilitation and Environmental Education in Western Australia's South West

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (and some answers to go with them)

What is a "raptor"?

Some young people are a little bit disappointed when we tell them that modern day raptors are not flesh eating dinosaurs chasing Sam Neill around a movie set, but birds. A raptor is a carnivorous bird with a hooked beak which kills its prey with powerful talons, or claws. In other words, a raptor is a bird of prey. The word, "raptor," is from the Latin, rapio which means, "seize."

How do I tell whether a bird is a raptor or not?

Raptors have a number of common distinguishing features, including eyes that are set facing forward in the head, a hooked, curved beak, and very strong legs and feet tipped with sharp, powerful talons. Some birds, like emus, have very strong legs and feet, and very dangerous claws, but they are not raptors: they have straight bills and eat plants. Other birds, like parrots, have powerful, hooked bills, but they are not raptors either: they have small feet adapted for climbing and eat seeds, nuts and nectar.

Kookaburras and kingfishers eat fish and small birds and animals, but they are not raptors: they have straight bills and small feet. The same goes for ravens, magpies, currawongs, shrikes and butcher birds. Frogmouths are sometimes mistaken for owls, with their huge yellow eyes and large bills with a slight curve at the tip, but they are actually part of the nightjar family, and are not raptors, either. Their feet are not nearly as strong as a raptor's feet.

Families of birds classed as raptors include eagles, hawks, falcons and owls. Raptors eat meat and/or fish, but they do not eat plants, seeds, nectar, grasses, fruit or vegetables. They are true carnivores.

Some raptors hunt and kill their prey themselves, while others are less fussy about their food, and will feed on animals and birds which have already died from other causes.

Aren't raptors "introduced"?

Not at all. There are thirty four species of native Australian birds of prey (24 diurnal, 10 nocturnal), including our majestic Wedge-Tailed Eagle, which is found nowhere else in the world, and two of the most well known raptor species, the Peregrine Falcon and the Barn Owl, both of which are endangered in other parts of the world. The barn owl is widely believed to be the most widespread land bird on Earth.

What species of raptor are native to Australia?

Quite a few! There are twenty four species of diurnal raptor and ten owl species native to Australia. The entire list may be seen at the Society for the Preservation of Raptors' web site.

Do raptors make good pets?

No. Raptors are wild predators. Although our baby owlet looks cute and adorable in the photographs, so do lion cubs, and you wouldn't want a lion in your house! Raptors have a temperament which is not suited to close human companionship. Trained educator birds like Shadow the Barn Owl and Cetan the Black Kite will tolerate contact with their human handlers and allow the public to observe them at a closer distance than wild birds will. Raptors are by nature very shy, timid creatures, and if frightened or mishandled, may panic. A terrified, panicking bird can cause injury to an untrained handler.

Raptors have special dietary and environmental needs. Even in countries where it is legal to keep birds of prey for the sport of falconry (hunting with raptors) it can get expensive to provide the proper housing, food and equipment. In Australia, raptors may only be kept under special conditions by wildlife carers. The first priority for wildlife carers is the rehabilitation and successful release of as many animals and birds as possible back into the wild. The only animals for whom permanent homes are found are those who would be unable to survive in their natural environment, AND who can have quality of life in captivity. There are many sad cases which have to be put down as they are simply too sick or too badly hurt to recover. Contact your State or Territory wildlife authority for more information on the laws governing the protection of your native fauna.

In 1953, an author named Edwin Way Teale wrote, Those who wish to pet and baby wild animals "love" them. But those who respect their natures and wish to let them live normal lives, love them more. That just about sums it up, really.

How can I get in touch with a falconry club in Australia?

Don't even think about it! Falconry has been illegal here since 1975. If you have falconry experience acquired in those countries where it is legal, and you would like to continue your involvement with birds of prey, you might like to consider putting your skills to good use working as a rehabilitator. Contact your State or Territory wildlife authority for information on what you can and can't do, as laws vary between the different States and Territories.

Can I pat the cute little bird?

Sorry, no. Raptors enjoy being patted about as much as we humans enjoy being poked in the eye, that is to say, not at all. Even the largest Australian raptor, the Wedge Tailed Eagle, is a small animal compared to a human being. Can you imagine how frightening and uncomfortable it would be to be approached and manhandled by a stranger many times larger than you? If you attend a display or have a carer visit your school with a bird of prey, you will see how the carer wears a special glove on which the bird sits, and how the carer does not pat the bird, and keeps contact to a minimum. Educator birds tolerate their carers handling them on the basis of their mutual trust relationship, but would find it stressful to be patted or handled by someone they are not familiar with.

What do I do if I find a sick or injured bird of prey?

If you can safely put the bird in a cardboard box using a thick towel or blanket then do so, making sure you have plenty of towels and another person to assist you. For more information on how to catch up a bird, check out the Perth Raptor Care Site. From there, you need to get the bird to someone from The Society for the Preservation of Raptors (SPR) in Western Australia or an equivalent organisation in your State or Territory, a ranger or wildlife officer, or someone from your local network of wildlife carers, who can put you onto a person in your area who has been trained in the rescue and care of these birds. In most States and Territories, call National Parks and Wildlife; in Western Australia, call the Department of Environment and Conservation's "Wildcare" Helpline for help and a referral to a trained carer. Their Wildcare Helpline number is (08) 9474 9055.

Who or What is the Society for the Preservation of Raptors?

The SPR is a non-profit conservation organisation composed mainly of wildlife carers and those who support the aims, goals and ethics of the Society. Click HERE for contact details of volunteers who can assist with sick and/or injured birds of prey in Western Australia.

You can visit the Society's home page by clicking HERE. The Society for the Preservation of Raptors is dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of sick and injured birds of prey; the conservation of bird of prey species as well as of the environment as a whole; and education of the public about an often misunderstood but vital part of our native Australian ecosystem. The Society is a volunteer organisation and receives no government funding for its activities. One way the SPR can achieve its education goal and raise money at the same time is to conduct displays at events like the Perth Royal Show, various fairs and expos, and school visits. Members (such as ourselves) who are licensed to do this (under Regulation 16 of the Wildlife Act) spend a lot of time and effort to put on displays using non-releasable "educator" birds, so a donation is requested in return for having a display at your event or school.

If you would like to enquire about a display, please .

Who else does this stuff?

There are a lot of other individuals and organisations all working towards similar goals of care, rehabilitation, conservation and education where raptors are concerned. Another group dedicated to helping raptors is WA Conservation of Raptors, a volunteer organisation run by Stuart and Amanda Payne, located in Perth's northern suburbs.

Stuart and Amanda can be contacted on (08) 9296 0172, 0418 945 847 or 0418 945 848.

How can I become a carer?

Contact the volunteer co-ordinator at your State or Territory wildlife authority (National Parks and Wildlife or DEC) for more information. Becoming a wildlife carer is a long term commitment, and not one to be taken lightly. It requires a significant investment of both time and money, but it can also be the most rewarding thing you ever do. You should be sixteen years of age or older if you wish to become a wildlife carer.

In Western Australia, the procedure for people living in the Perth metropolitan area is:

Complete the DEC Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation Course (a 3-day course run over two weekends);
Work as a volunteer with a registered wildlife rehabilitator or in a wildlife rehabilitation centre, until the registered carer or principal of the rehabilitation centre will provide a reference of proficiency;
Undergo inspection from a DEC Wildlife Officer for a final assessment.

For people living in country and regional Western Australia:

Wherever possible, complete the DEC Wildlife Carers' Course, and/or
Contact your local DEC Wildlife Officer for an assessment.

If you would like more information, the DEC General Enquiries telephone number is (08) 9334 0333. Ask to speak with the Community Involvement Coordinator. The DEC website can be found at http://www.dec.wa.gov.au.

I don't think I can be a wildlife rehabilitator, but I'd still like to help, what can I do?

There are many ways you can help. One of the simplest is to try and avoid the use of rat and mouse poisons like Ratsak or Talon-G, which are based on a drug called warfarin. When raptors eat animals which have eaten these poisons, the toxins accumulate in the birds' bodies, and they die a very slow and painful death of internal haemorrhaging. There is a product called "Racumin" available which is still poisonous (treat all chemicals with care and use only according to the instructions) but does not cause quite as much environmental damage. Try and buy the snail pellets which are "animal friendly," and keep your cat indoors at night.

Even dear, gentle little cats which don't hunt and kill birds and marsupials can still travel up to 15 km and back in a single night and spread diseases which can decimate the local fauna. For more information on pest control strategies, click HERE.

If you would like to do something a little more pro-active, look up your local wildlife rehabilitation centre and give them a call. They may need volunteers to help out with the animals and birds, or they might like you to buy a raffle ticket, sell a box of lamingtons, help collect food or even donate unwanted towels and bits of old carpet!

If you have an old pet carrier that you no longer need, please consider either donating it or selling it cheaply to your local wildlife volunteer. Carers are almost always short of pet carriers, and they are expensive to buy new.

You can join the SPR by sending the Society an and help with displays and fund raising, or just learn to help the other carers.

Donations -- to any and all wildlife organisations -- are always gratefully accepted.

Back to EarthWings main page
Emergency contacts for sick or injured birds of prey in Western Australia.
The Legend of the Amazing One-Legged Barn Owl - how to tell if a bird is stressed.
Contact us regarding a display at your event, school or community group.
View our Educational Package.
What happens when a raptor is taken into care?
View our pages documenting the growth of a baby barn owl from two weeks of age.
Read up on Pest Control strategies.
Check out our short (but valuable) Page o' Links.

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