Bird Treatment and Learning Center

The Latest News! And just like that, our Northern Hawk Owl flies back to the wild. Watch the pre-release exam here: https://lnkd.in/giFvxbpv And don't forget about our upcoming event, Birds & Brews + Cookies, this coming Saturday, 11/23/24. 5:00 - 8:00 pm at Cynosure Brewing with cookies donated by The Flying Dutchman Pastry Shop. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/gGPv3zfW

Weekly Wrap-up! Here is our favorite moment from last week: This young boy cheering on the Western Screech Owl, who he named Hootie, as the owl flies back into the wild. Two weeks ago, the owl collided with a window at this boy's home. The family woke in the morning to the imprint of an owl on their window and a stunned owl in their yard. We're grateful to everyone who helped this owl on his journey back to the wild - the family for getting him to the Alaska Sealife Center, where he was cared for until a Bird TLC picked him up and brought him to our clinic; our staff and volunteers who cared for him for two weeks while he recovered, and Tasha, a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for banding the owl and driving him to Seward so he could return to his territory. Plus, we had a great time at Trivia Night at Mad Myrna's with over 100 players, and $2,976 was raised for our rehabilitation and education programs.

Weekly Wrap-up! Two of our patients in the rehabilitation clinic are small owls - a Western Screech (pictured) and a Short-eared. The Western Screech came to us from Seward after a collision with a window. His rescuers took him to the Alaska Sealife Center where he was cared for while a Bird TLC volunteer drove down to pick up him up. Here are some products that homeowners can use to prevent birds from hitting windows: Feather Friendly: https://lnkd.in/eXg5m8sg Acopian Bird Savers: https://lnkd.in/ghsjhXVw

Weekly Wrap-up! The highlight of our week was releasing this Short-eared Owl from Bethel who can now head south for the winter! Our Education Team and Ambassador Birds were busy with programs at schools in Anchorage and Girdwood. Ambassador Kenriiq, our Short-eared Owl, had multiple bookings this week! We hope you can join us at the upcoming Trivia Night at Mad Myrna's: A Fundraiser for Bird Treatment and Learning Center. Register your team here: https://lnkd.in/gFk2s4xi

Discover the Merlin, a small but mighty falcon, in our latest blog post: https://bit.ly/4gx9vSG Photo credit: Dana Foley | FD Foley Photography (Facebook) | @danafo63 (Instagram)

Weekly Wrap-up! This week brought the 541st patient to the rehabilitation clinic, including this Peregrine Falcon from Nome. Our Education Team presented two programs at elementary schools and hosted an Ambassador Bird Experience. Ambassador Bird Girdie joined us at an outreach event hosted by Visit Anchorage. Breaking News: Ambassador Girdie and Ambassador Ghost both announced their candidacies for President of the Ambassador Birds. Read about the issues they are running on and cast your votes! Girdie for President: https://lnkd.in/ge56qaMA Ghost for President: https://lnkd.in/gpHuTi-v

It's been a busy week with several rehabilitated birds returning to the wild - a Black-legged Kittiwake got a ride to Seward with a staff member so he could join the local Kittiwake colony; our young Merlin took his first flight as a wild bird, and just in time to head south for the winter; and a Downy Woodpecker wasted no time flying off into the wild. We wish them all well!

Fly away, Merlins! This week, we had the opportunity to share the excitement of releasing rehabilitated birds back into the wild with our community. Three Merlins are swooping through the sky again and are ready to head off on their journeys south. And those who shared the moment with us now know the joy of setting a bird free.?

My, what a big beak you have, Culuk. That beak looks powerful, right? Yes, it does, but according to the National Eagle Center, the human hand, with 70 - 120 pounds of pressure per square inch, is stronger than an eagle's beak which has approximately 40 pounds per square inch. Eagles use their strong chest muscles and a twisting motion with their head to rip into a fish.

Earplugs should be required when treating a Merlin (sound on to find out why)! This bird makes it clear he does not appreciate being called an "angry little peanut"?but does appreciate the rat liver. We like our rehab patients to be angry - that means they do not like us and want to be back in the wild. Four merlins have come into our care recently, as these small falcons pass through on their way to wintering grounds in the southern part of the Lower 48 and even Central America.?