Page 25 - June-July 2015 Magazine For Flipbook

The California Raptor
Center, Keeping them
in the air

by Kristine Mietzner

silent presence, raptors grace the sides of highways and
byways and farmland of Northern California. Among

them are Swainson’s hawks, golden eagles, bur-
rowing owls, American kestrels, red-tailed hawks,
white-tailed hawks, barn owls, great-horned owls,
peregrine falcons, prairie falcons, and the occa-
sional American bald eagle.

Watchful eyes

It’s not uncommon to see a Swainson’s hawk perching in the upper reaches of a eucalyptus tree
or a red-tailed hawk surveying the world from the broad branches of an old oak. These birds of
prey frequently nest in the oak, cottonwood, and eucalyptus trees in this area.

Nestled beside farm fields at the edge of Davis, the California Raptor Center (CRC) receives
injured hawks, eagles, American kestrels, and owls. At the CRC, a program of the UC Davis
School of Veterinary Medicine, these birds of prey known for their keen eyesight and sharp
talons are given a second chance. The center is an educational and research facility dedicated to
the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned birds of prey.

Hospital Zone

A collection of old buildings and spacious cages serves as a trauma center and rehabilitation
facility for the area’s injured raptors. Each year as many as six to ten veterinarians from the vet-
erinary hospital treat the injured and rescued raptors that are brought to the CRC.

Operations Manager Bret Stedman has worked at the CRC for 33 years. He started as a center
volunteer when he was a UC Davis undergraduate and eventually his work turned into a career.