Alaska Raptor Center
Encyclopedia
The Alaska Raptor Center is a raptor rehabilitation
center in Sitka
in the U.S. state
of Alaska
. Located on a 17–acre campus bordering the Tongass National Forest
and the Indian River
, its primary mission is the rehabilitation of sick and injured eagle
s, hawk
s, falcon
s, owl
s, and other birds of prey
which are brought in from all over Alaska. The Center (the largest of its type in the state, and one of the largest in North America) receives between 100–200 birds a year, with many suffering from gunshot wounds and traffic accident-related trauma.
Most of the birds arriving at the center arrive in special containers, having been flown in via the baggage compartments of Alaska Airlines
planes. The Center's goal is to introduce the birds back into the wild, once they are healed and retrained in "raptor
life skills" (such as flying) in the enclosed, 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) Bald Eagle Flight-Training Center. Many birds that are no longer able to live outside captivity are sent to zoos and wildlife centers located throughout the United States.
A few of the animals that could not be returned to nature have become permanent guests. More than 40,000 visitors annually come to see the two dozen resident eagles, hawks, owls, and raven
s, who assist in the Center’s secondary function, that of public education. The most well-known resident is Volta, a bald eagle
who suffered permanent damage after a 1992 collision with power lines (hence the name). Though since nursed back to health, Volta now regularly travels to the lower 48 states as an ambassador for the Center (out of the 100,000 or so bald eagles on Earth, half live in Alaska).
The Center is open to the public and offers daily tours.
The Alaska Raptor Center is a private, nonprofit organization
.
Raptor rehabilitation
Raptor rehabilitation is a field of veterinary medicine dealing with care for sick or injured birds of prey, with the goal of returning them to the wild...
center in Sitka
Sitka City and Borough, Alaska
The City and Borough of Sitka, originally called New Archangel under Russian Rule, is a unified city-borough located on Baranof Island and the southern half of Chichagof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Pacific Ocean , in the U.S...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. Located on a 17–acre campus bordering the Tongass National Forest
Tongass National Forest
The Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska is the largest national forest in the United States at 17 million acres . Most of its area is part of the temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, itself part of the larger Pacific temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, and is remote enough to be home...
and the Indian River
Indian River (Alaska)
Indian River or Kaasda Héen, as known by the local Tlingit, is a roughly eight-mile long watershed that flows through the community of Sitka on Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of Southeast Alaska....
, its primary mission is the rehabilitation of sick and injured eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s, falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s, owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s, and other birds of prey
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
which are brought in from all over Alaska. The Center (the largest of its type in the state, and one of the largest in North America) receives between 100–200 birds a year, with many suffering from gunshot wounds and traffic accident-related trauma.
Most of the birds arriving at the center arrive in special containers, having been flown in via the baggage compartments of Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is an airline based in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac, Washington in the United States. The airline originated in 1932 as McGee Airways. After many mergers with and acquisitions of other airlines, including Star Air Service, it became known as Alaska Airlines in 1944...
planes. The Center's goal is to introduce the birds back into the wild, once they are healed and retrained in "raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
life skills" (such as flying) in the enclosed, 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) Bald Eagle Flight-Training Center. Many birds that are no longer able to live outside captivity are sent to zoos and wildlife centers located throughout the United States.
A few of the animals that could not be returned to nature have become permanent guests. More than 40,000 visitors annually come to see the two dozen resident eagles, hawks, owls, and raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
s, who assist in the Center’s secondary function, that of public education. The most well-known resident is Volta, a bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
who suffered permanent damage after a 1992 collision with power lines (hence the name). Though since nursed back to health, Volta now regularly travels to the lower 48 states as an ambassador for the Center (out of the 100,000 or so bald eagles on Earth, half live in Alaska).
The Center is open to the public and offers daily tours.
The Alaska Raptor Center is a private, nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
.