| Valerie Johnson and Cori Nuss are part of the team of volunteers and interns that provide daily programs and answers questions about the raptors. |
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| Kathleen Collins, assists
Dr. Jean Cypher of the Rowena Wildlife Clinic in hooding Ferguson the American Bald Eagle prior to his vet check. |
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The Discovery Center's Raptor Program will introduce you to live birds of prey. Adults and children of all ages will enjoy learning about the unique attributes of each fascinating raptor species. Programs address the challenges of declining habitat, the hazards of toxic chemicals, and the role humans have played in both endangering and protecting these majestic ambassadors from the wild.
Meet in the Discovery Center River Gallery.
Included with paid admission; free for members.
About the Raptor Project Jean Cypher, D.V.M. of the Rowena Wildlife Clinic, called in Spring 2007 to see if the Discovery Center would be interested in having a bald eagle to display. With the assistance of the Discovery Center administrator, Dr. Cypher, Chris Tolotti of Wildlife Rescue of the Gorge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Migratory Bird Division, and Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department, the idea for a full-scale education and exhibit project evolved.
The program meets several needs. It affords the clinic a new avenue for educating the public about native raptors and their habitats, provides a place for non-releasable injured birds that must otherwise be euthanized, and offers the Discovery Center a new attraction that meets its mission to inspire appreciation and stewardship of the Gorge. Ferguson, the bald eagle, is strictly an exhibition bird, allowing the public a relatively close view of a very large raptor. Its 24’x48’ enclosure allows room for exercise, although a permanent wing injury prevents it from flying.
In addition to the eagle exhibit, several education birds are on site include a great horned owl, a saw-whet owl, an American kestrel, a red-tailed hawk and a peregrine falcon. All of these birds are the property of the federal government held under permit with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
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