Why Help Raptors?

Raptors occupy a special niche in our environment. Being at the top of a fragile food chain, they act as indicator species for our environment. If all is well in the environment, indicator species do well. If something goes wrong down below, the ones farther up suffer and usually show signs of trouble first. By monitoring the health of the indicator species, we can monitor the health of our environment.

Over the past half-century, significant changes have taken place in the way our society views and interacts with raptors. Once looked at as vermin and shot for bounties, raptors are now understood to be vital to our environment and are protected by state, federal, and international laws. Events such as the proliferation and subsequent removal of DDT, habitat loss, and human infrastructure interference have all changed how raptors survive in our world.

California has significant evolving situations that affect raptor populations. We have factors not often found in other places, such as being a major part of the Pacific Flyway, rapid destruction of wildlife habitat for human housing, business, and agriculture, mild weather (which results in large year-round raptor populations), and a well-educated populace.

As global or regional events produce effects on the raptor populations, people in the affected areas often take notice and want to help. A framework evolves that includes observation, research, conservation, education, and supportive care. Numerous organizations and individuals begin working together and finding their niches within the framework. By pooling effort and sharing results, advances are made far in excess of the sum of the parts.

Our work in rehabilitation, education, training, medical research, and electrocution prevention has become an integral part of the framework in Northern California. We can only hope that our work will assist in conserving the populations of these birds we love so much.

The future of birds of prey is in human hands. We have played a major part in their decline; we now have the ability to play a major part in their recovery. These birds have an amazing ability to adapt to change, but our changes often outstrip their ability to adapt. If we can pay attention to them and provide appropriate assistance, they will be here for generations to come.

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