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Oregon: Cascades Raptor Center
The highlight of our journey through Oregon was a tour today at the Cascades Raptor Center, just south of Eugene.
The Center has a rehabilitative program and a hospital for the birds of prey known as “raptors”—falcons, hawks, eagles, owls and other birds that share the unique trait of hunting with their feet.
The Center also provides homes for about 50 birds that cannot be released back into the wild for various reasons, including damaged wings or eyesight. We were able to view those beauties up-close on our tour.
Here are a few of our favorites.
A peregrine falcon:
A pair of rough-legged hawks (so named because they have feathers all the way down to the ends of their toes):
This magnificent bald eagle, from Alaska:
And a red-tailed hawk:
Genevieve was so enamored with the two Northern Saw-Whet Owls that she used her own money to “adopt” (i.e., financially sponsor) the one named Tristan for a year. Here she is, standing in front of Tristan’s habitat—you can see Tristan in the background, up in the corner:
A close-up of Tristan, on the left:
Our many thanks go to our tour guide Kit Lacy, the Education Director at the Center.
We all learned so much, and gained a much greater appreciation for these amazing birds. More about the Cascades Raptor Center can be found here.
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