Birds of prey released to the wild

COALDALE RESCUE CENTRE PRAISED FOR EFFORTS

Six rescued and rehabilitated birds of prey flew to freedom on Friday. The birds were released overlooking the picturesque Oldman River valley near Cottonwood Park with the help of Environment and Parks Minister and Lethbridge West MLA Shannon Phillips and her two sons, Finn, 8, and Hudson, 6.

The birds had been nurtured by the Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation over the past couple of months. The foundation is a volunteer-based organization that has provided wildlife rescue and release of injured and orphaned birds of prey since 1983.

“These are the moments we live for,” said Colin Weir, managing director of Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale.

Two Swainson’s hawks, two Great horned owls, a Merlin falcon and a Short-eared owl were released. The boys handled the smaller birds while Minister Phillips was given the task of releasing those with bigger talons.

Phillips said it was a little intimidating to hold some of the birds, including a Great horned owl she released.

“The Great horned owl is a pretty big bird. They’re our provincial bird and it was just so amazing to get up close to one. I’ve never been that close,” she said.

The foundation operates the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale, which is open to the public over the summer months as an educational facility and tourist attraction. However, staff at the centre are available year-round to accept injured birds of prey for rehabilitation.

At the centre there are about 90 birds on display. Another 150 birds are off display and many of them will also be returned to the wild.

Phillips praised the Birds of Prey Centre for its rescue efforts and for giving the public the chance to learn and get up close to wildlife.

“We have so much interesting wildlife right on our doorsteps in the city, outside the city. We’re just so pleased that they’re able to provide that service that rehabilitates birds that get found, maybe fallen out of their nest, and then they can go back out into the wild.”

The six rescued birds released on Friday came from both within the city as well as the outskirts of town. The two Great horned owls were rescued from Galt Gardens park near the end of April.

“A lot of people weren’t aware there was actually Great horned owls nesting in Galt Gardens this spring,” said Weir. “They just fell out of their nest during a great big wind storm.”

The centre also receives lots of calls about other types of birds from sparrows to magpies to families of ducks in need of rescue across southern Alberta, said Weir.

Weir said they wanted to invite the minister to help with the release because of the Alberta government’s positive partnership with the foundation.

“One of the great things that they do is their partnership with us, where we are releasing these birds back to the wild. We’ve been doing it as volunteers for Alberta Fish and Wildlife going on about 35 years now. It’s a very, very enjoyable and gratifying moment for us,” he said.

The Birds of Prey Centre will close for the season on Sept. 10. They will be open over the next week from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

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