Role-playing allows us to gain insights into the ways that other beings live around us. Spend a little time “becoming” a raptor - pick a local species that is interesting to you. Playfully imagine the following, and, for best results, turn the following questions into a story that you and your child can use to unleash the power of imagination:

• What does it feel like to have a body covered with feathers? How does it feel to have hollow, light bones? Hold out your arms and imagine them transforming into wings. Feel your fingers change into long primary feathers. Feel your eyes transform into the powerful eyes of a raptor, and your nose and mouth becoming a strong beak.How far do your eyes see? What kind of details do they pick up? Do you see in color? Can you see well at night?

• Imagine the strong grip of your talons as you perch on the branch of a pine tree. Imagine sitting up there in a tree, gently swaying in the breeze. Your feathers absorb the warmth of sunlight as you look down over a meadow of tall grass. You are hungry - what are you looking for to eat? Where will you find this favorite food? What does it feel like to fly? Remember to change back into a person when you are done!

It’s time to get out your nature notebook and a field guide, and dig into the world of the raptors, looking through the naturalist’s eye.

• What is the largest raptor in your area? What is the smallest?
• How many raptors live in your area - make a list of their names and look at each one in a field guide. Which ones have you seen before? Where did you see them?
• What kinds of raptors are most likely to live in the habitat around your home?
• What food sources will raptors find in your area?
• Pick a “raptor of the week” and learn all you can about it with your family. Go outside and try to spot one!

Birds of prey help the environment by keeping the numbers of rodents and other small animals from getting out of control. Two important ways that we can help raptors to stay healthy are:

           1) Protect their homes and food sources by supporting habitat conservation efforts.

            2) Stop or limit our usage of chemical contaminants.

           Raptors are primary predators that exist at the top of the food chain. They eat many kinds of rodents, birds, insects and other small animals, which in turn depend on the plants, soil and water. Raptors also tend to require large amounts of open space, which provides them with the quantities of food necessary to their survival. Anything that affects the other living organisms, or the land, air, and water, is going to affect the birds of prey at the top of the food chain.

            Chemical contaminants have greatly affected raptor populations. The use of pesticides and rodenticides leads to secondary poisoning, as raptors ingest these chemicals through eating contaminated food sources. Toxic metals and persistent organic chemicals, including PCBs, often build up to high levels within these chief carnivores. Limiting the use of these chemicals is an important step in helping to conserve raptor populations.

            A well-known example of chemical poisoning was realized with the DDT ban in the 1970's. DDT was found to cause severe thinning of eggshells in various raptor species, leading to drastic population declines. In 1963, only 417 pairs of bald eagles were found in the lower 48 states. Thanks to the ban and to an aggressive breeding program, by the year 2000 there were 6,334 breeding pairs of these amazing birds.

            Unfortunately, DDT and other chemicals that are now illegal for sale in the United States are still used in many other countries. Migratory raptors that breed in the U.S. can be affected by these chemicals when they travel to their southern wintering grounds. Habitat destruction along the migratory route also alters food availability. Here in the U.S., raptor populations are affected by deforestation, alteration of natural grasslands, and urban sprawl. Supporting habitat conservation is essential to the survival of raptors of all kinds.

            There are many ways to learn more about raptors and to help with conservation efforts. Spend some time observing the species in your area, and learn to identify them in flight. Consider visiting your local nature center to learn about what’s happening in your area. Volunteers are often sought to help with counting migrating hawks, and with a variety of other projects. By supporting bird counts, we help advance the scientific understanding of migratory patterns and can take more informed steps to help conserve wildlife.

Learn more about raptors through our Family Wildlife Days events!

References:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ Raptor Fact Sheet

Ehrlich, Dobkin, and Wheye. The Birder's Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. Simon & Schuster. New York, NY. 1988.