Did you know October is Raptor Month? Since 2006, Briar Bush has celebrated with “RaptorFest.” The open house event features family fun and learning, including amazing, up-close encounters with live birds of prey from local organizations and falconers alike. Sponsored by Marsha Pearson of The Avian Promise and FOBB Board Member, these live animal presentations have taught us all a great deal about these amazing birds.
Watching wild raptors doesn’t have to wait until next October! For many reasons, hawks, falcons, owls and other raptors have been showing up in the urban and suburban landscape in ever greater numbers since the 1970s. While some of the increase has been attributed to loss of previous habitat, many positive factors are involved: the banning of DDT and other pesticides in the early ‘70s was a major step along with federal protection and re-introduction projects in cities and wildlands alike.
There can be a high concentration of food for the predators where we humans abound: feeding birds is becoming one of the most popular past-times in the country and many raptors feed on smaller birds. Though some may not appreciate the feeder birds being “picked-off,” it is important to remember that hawks have to eat, too! Besides, how often do we get to see a predator in action right in our backyard?
Raptors also provide a major benefit as they prey heavily on rodent pests. Unfortunately, this can often lead to their downfall: many birds of prey are poisoned when they eat tainted rats or mice. Most rodenticides on the market contain poisons which do not kill pest animals immediately. The poisoned rodents often go outside and are eaten by hawks or other raptors, killing them. At Briar Bush we have been upgrading buildings to try to exclude rodents and we are moving to non-toxic methods of pest control in order to better protect the birds and other wildlife here.
For more information on raptors in our area, check out the websites listed, or contact our education staff and keep watching the skies in your neighborhoods!
Militia Hill Hawk Watch: http://www.wyncoteaudubon.org/mhhw.htm
Webcam (and lots of info) of Peregrine falcons in Harrisburg: http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/falcon/
Webcam of Red-tailed hawks nesting at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia:
http://www2.fi.edu/hawknest.php
Article written by Briar Bush Nature Center Senior Naturalist, Mark Fallon
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