Article written and pictures taken by Assistant Editor Jerry Lindsey.
The City of Morrison, IL, Community Room at Odell Public Library was standing-room only on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Northern Illinois Raptor Rehab and Education staff presented their mission and exposed those attending to the native birds of prey of Northwest Illinois.
Understanding birds of prey begins with the definition of a raptor. Raptor: a carnivorous medium-to-large-sized bird (such as a hawk, eagle, owl, or vulture), that has a hooked beak and large, sharp talons and that feeds wholly or chiefly on meat taken by hunting or on carrion.
The 60 minutes were filled with details related to various species of raptors and the environment within which each survives. Youth who covered the floor intently paid attention to the explanation of the birds’ actions as the presenters held a live bird of prey for their viewing. The birds ranged from the smallest Screech-Owl–that could fit into a coffee cup–to the enormous Barred Owl– that owned a wing span over 30 inches. They learned that all raptors are friends of nature that survive on snakes, spiders, and nuisance insects, and that the female is usually one-third larger than the male for identification purposes. Raptors’ keen eyesight lets them spot potential prey as far away as five miles. Upon capture, their strong talons hold the prey as the sharp beak breaks up the meat for consumption.
A surprising point of interest was the fact that the Falcon is the fastest animal on earth. Falcons have been recorded while in flight, as they dove for prey at 289 miles per hour! Revealing details about raptors and viewing their size and beauty kept the audience’s attention for the informative presentation.
The session reminded the audience that “Nature Teaches” and suggested that whenever possible everyone should, “Get Out into Nature and Learn.”
