The Alaska Raptor Center, formerly the Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center, is a raptor rehabilitation center in Sitka in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

. Located on a 17–acre campus bordering the

Tongass National Forest The Tongass National Forest () in Southeast Alaska is the largest U.S. National Forest at , an expanse larger than 10 U.S. states and 75 U.N. member nations. Most of its area is temperate rain forest and is remote enough to be home to many s ...

and the Indian River. The mission of the Alaska Raptor Center is to promote and enhance wild populations of raptors and other avian species through rehabilitation, education and research. Although the main patients are raptors, especially

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche ...

s, the center will take any bird in need of care. The Alaska Raptor Center receives between 100–200 birds a year, with many suffering from some sort of trauma. They have treated birds with injuries from electrocution, collisions, gunshot wounds, leg hold traps, starvation, disease and

lead poisoning Lead poisoning, also known as plumbism and saturnism, is a type of metal poisoning caused by lead in the body. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, irritability, memory problems, infertility, numbness and paresthesia, t ...

. Many of their patients come from outside of Sitka and are flown in via Alaska Airlines or smaller regional airlines. The birds travel in dog kennels that have been covered to block out light. This helps to keep the birds calm when traveling. When an eagle is healthy enough, they will be moved into the Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation Bald Eagle Flight Training Center. This is a large indoor area where they are able to fly, bathe and interact with other eagles until it is time for them to be released. Birds that are no longer able to live outside of human care are placed in zoos or wildlife centers throughout the United States to serve as ambassadors for their species. Some of the birds that sustained injuries that did not allow them to be released have found a permanent home at the Alaska Raptor Center. More than 100,000 visitors annually come to see the two dozen resident eagles, hawks, owls, falcons and

raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...

s, who assist in the center's secondary function, public education. The most well-known resident was Volta, a bald eagle who suffered permanent shoulder damage after a 1992 collision with power lines. Volta retired from doing on-glove education programs in 2020 and lived in the Bald Eagle Habitat off the back deck of the Raptor Center. In January 2024, Volta was humanly euthanized due to failing health and a reduced quality of life. He was at least 37 years old in 2024, possibly older. Another well-known resident was Lady Baltimore, who died in 2024. The center in Sitka is open to the public and offers daily tours. The Alaska Raptor Center is a private,

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

. Image:Raptor center (js) 4.jpg, Volta, a bald eagle in 2000 Image:Raptor center (js) 3.jpg, A juvenile bald eagle Image:Raptor center (js) 2.jpg, Gilbert, a raven Image:Raptor center (js) 1.jpg, Asio, a

short-eared owl The short-eared owl (''Asio flammeus'') is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus ''Asio'' are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or ...

References

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External links

* {{Official website, https://alaskaraptor.org/ 1980 establishments in Alaska Bird health Buildings and structures in Sitka, Alaska Education in Sitka, Alaska Nature centers in Alaska Ornithological organizations in the United States Raptor organizations Scientific organizations established in 1980 Tourist attractions in Sitka, Alaska Wildlife rehabilitation and conservation centers

See also

References

External links