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Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation spreading its wings |
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Written by Gerald Gauthier
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Tuesday, 25 November 2008 |
As Marianne Durocher stood at the river’s edge Tuesday with an anxious duck held carefully in her hands, a small gaggle of reporters waited expectantly for her to release it into the air.
Instead, the volunteer bird rescuer knelt by the edge of the Oldman River and released the duck into the water. It then paddled away rapidly, grateful to be free again.
Turns out the bird, a ruddy duck, can only take flight from a body of water, using the surface as an airstrip, explained Colin Weir, managing director the Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation.
“Sometimes they just get so exhausted from flying that they can’t make it to the next body of water,” he said.
This particular duck was found stranded on dry land the previous weekend at the CP Rail yard west of Lethbridge, and railway staff called the local organization for help. Rescues and releases of non-predatory birds are becoming increasingly common for the Coaldale-based centre, which is perhaps better known for serving as a sanctuary for numerous birds of prey.
“We’re on call 24-7, all the time,” he said.
Volunteers from the centre rescued and released more than 100 injured birds of prey last year. In addition, the centre received more than 1,000 calls — including 200 from Lethbridge residents — regarding discoveries of injured birds, both predatory and non-predatory.
Also released back into the wild Tuesday were a merlin falcon and a red-tailed hawk. The falcon was rescued after flying into the window of a home in the city.
Although the centre is closed to visitors during the winter, its rescue services remain in demand year round. The need for donations is acute at this time of year to provide food and heat for the centre’s feathered inhabitants. The organization needs to raise at least $40,000 in order to sustain its efforts for the next six months.
“Without the donations that come in from our supporters over the year, we wouldn’t be able to continue doing this,” Weir said, adding the centre receives no government funding.
Anyone wishing to contribute should contact the centre at 403-345-4262 or on line at www.burrowingowl.com.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 10 August 2009 )
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