Help Raise Funds to Feed and Care For Our Captive, Non-Releasable Birds of Prey
Barred Owls
Barred Owls
- Coloring: Barred owls are stocky birds who can reach up to 20 inches in length. They are mottled brown with a rounded head, dark, almost black eyes, and a rounded tail.
- Home: Barred owls are cavity dwellers who originated in the eastern U.S., but now range as far as the northern areas of the U.S. and Canada.
- Behavior: While they are mostly active at night, they can be heard during the day by listening for their distinctive, “who cooks for you?” call.
Get to know our Barred Owls to discover their life journeys and how they came to be part of the CBEC raptor family
Red’s Story *naming rights will be available at future fundraisers (female #1)
After being struck by a car, this female sustained minor abrasions and a left eye injury. After treatment and time to heal, she was re-examined and deemed non-releasable. This eye would leave her unable to hunt. CBEC volunteered to care for her and use her as part of our education programs.
Orange’s Story *naming rights will be available at future fundraisers (female #2)
After being struck by a car, this female only sustained injury to her right eye, and as a result has no vision in the eye. After treatment and time to heal, she was re-examined and deemed non-releasable. Having loss of vision in one eye will not allow her to hunt effectively. CBEC volunteered to care for her and use her as part of our education programs.
Yellow’s Story *naming rights will be available at future fundraisers (male #1)
This male was found on the roadside with cataracts in both of his eyes. While he is otherwise healthy, self-feeding, and able to get up on a perch unassisted, he cannot see nor fly well enough to hunt or fend for himself. As a result, this bird is deemed non-releasable. CBEC volunteered to care for him and use him as part of our education programs.
Great Horned Owls
Great Horned Owls
- Coloring: Great Horned Owls are the largest common North American owl. They have long, feathered tufts on their heads, large yellow/orange eyes and can be covered in gray, brown or a mix of these feather colors.
- Home: Great Horned Owls are the greatest ranging North American owl and can be found in every state of the United States (including Alaska), except for Hawaii.
- Popularity: When thinking of owls, the Great Horned Owl is the one that comes to most minds. Even more so, due to its hooting call that is mimicked in many stories and films.
Get to know our Great Horned Owls to discover their life journeys and how they came to be part of the CBEC raptor family
Purple’s Story *naming rights will be available at future fundraisers (female #1)
After being struck by a car, this female sustained injuries to her left wing resulting in amputation of the wing. The mew of the Great Horned Owls is equipped with two ladder perches to aid in the owl’s ability to hop up towards the hutch boxes, as well as high elevation perching. After amputation of this wing, she was classified as non-releasable. CBEC volunteered to care for her and use her as part of our education programs.
Blue’s Story *naming rights will be available at future fundraisers (male #1)
After being struck by a car, this male sustained injuries to his wing that does not allow his flight. He is also blind in his right eye. These injuries will not allow him to hunt. Because of this amputation, he was deemed non-releasable. CBEC volunteered to care for him but does not use him as part of our education programs.
Red-Tailed Hawks
Red-Tailed Hawks
- Coloring: Red-tailed hawks are brown on top and have a creamy light color mixed with smaller dark areas on the bottom. They can reach lengths of 25 inches with wing spans of 52 inches.
- Favorite snacks: Small mammals and smaller bird species make up most of the Red-tailed hawk’s diet.
- Behavior: These hawks are often seen soaring over large, open expanses or perched on fence or light posts on the side of your local road.
Get to know our Red-Tailed Hawks to discover their life journeys and how they came to be part of the CBEC raptor family
Brown’s Story *naming rights will be available at future fundraisers (female)
After being struck by a car, this female sustained a left eye injury. Blindness in this eye does not allow her to hunt, and although she is capable of flight, she has been deemed non-releasable. CBEC volunteered to care for her but does not use her in our education programs.
Black’s Story *naming rights will be available at future fundraisers (male)
After being struck by a car, this male sustained eye and leg injuries. The left leg was broken and repaired by installing a metal pin to connect the bones together. The left eye suffered severe damage and could not be repaired. These injuries classified him as non-releasable, so CBEC volunteered to care for him. He was hand-fed for the first 6 months of his time here at CBEC but now can readily feed by himself. Because of his leg injury, CBEC does not use him as part of our education programs but instead he remains on static display for our visitors to enjoy and appreciate.
Eastern Screech Owl
Eastern Screech Owls
- Coloring: Eastern Screech Owls can be red or grey with yellow eyes, and have small ear tufts that can be lowered and hidden. They are very small and average about 9 inches in size.
- Home: As its name implies, the Eastern Screech Owl lives in the eastern U.S. as well as parts of Canada and Mexico. They are strictly nocturnal and live in wooded areas where they like to nest in tree cavities, woodpecker holes, or even man-made nest boxes.
- Favorite Snacks: The Eastern Screech owl loves to eat mice, insects, and amphibians
Get to know our Screech Owl to discover her life journey and how she came to be part of the CBEC raptor family
Pink’s Story *naming rights will be available at future fundraisers
After being struck by a vehicle, this female was found on the Severn River Bridge by a samaritan . During treatment and recovery, it was determined that her right eye had sustained permanent damage, which deemed her non-releasable. CBEC volunteered to care for her and use her in our education programs.
Why Should You Support Our Birds?
The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC) is home to a variety of non-releasable birds of prey. These rehabilitated raptors have experienced injuries or trauma that has left them unable to fend for themselves in the wild.
CBEC currently possesses four species of rehabilitated raptors with the potential to expand the raptor family. These raptors are housed in mews with viewing available to the public from 9am to 5pm, seven days a week. Visitors can access these birds by stopping in the Visitor Center to obtain a property map, and visiting the exhibit area.
CBEC’s red-tailed hawks, barred owls, screech owls, and great horned owls are evaluated by licensed rehabilitators, identifying ones that can be habituated to be used by staff in educational settings and for corporate/community outreach programs. The goal of these programs is to promote raptor identification, habitat preservation, and ecological roles in a number of educational settings. These include K-12 educational programs conducted on campus and in classrooms throughout the community, as well as corporate and community outreach programs. CBEC works with local veterinarians to provide high quality care for all its raptors, even those that are not suited to be part of CBEC’s educational programs due to their age or injuries. CBEC adheres to requirements on care protocol and housing specifications laid out in both state and federal permits that are held for all species in its possession.
How You Can Support Our Birds:
Because raptors have become important ambassadors for the region’s environmental education preservation movement, it is imperative they receive the care and attention they deserve. By supporting the Adopt-a-Raptor program you will help to defray the costs of providing daily feeding, medical treatment, housing repairs, and the extensive training given to the handlers of these beautiful birds. Please select species and level of adoption as shown below.
Levels of Adoption
$50
- Picture of raptor you wish to adopt and certificate of adoption
- Name on website
- Participate in one of the four scheduled raptor photo days listed below
$75
- Picture of raptor you wish to adopt and certificate of adoption
- Name on website
- Participate in one of the four scheduled raptor photo days listed below
- One-year membership to CBEC
$100
- Picture of raptor you wish to adopt and certificate of adoption
- Name on website
- Participate in one of the four scheduled raptor photo days listed below
- One-year membership to CBEC
- T-shirt
$1000
- Picture of raptor you wish to adopt and certificate of adoption
- Name on website
- Participate in one of the four scheduled raptor photo days listed below
- One-year membership to CBEC
- T-shirt
- One educational bird of prey program with live birds, presented to a private group (maximum 30 persons)
$5000
- Picture of raptor you wish to adopt and certificate of adoption
- Name on website
- Participate in one of the four scheduled raptor photo days listed below
- One year membership to CBEC
- T-shirt
- One educational bird of prey program with live birds, delivered to a private group (maximum 30 persons)
- Plaque on coop with naming rights of coop
Raptor Photo Days: TBD
Special thanks to Chesapeake Veterinary Hospital and Doctors… for their continuous generosity and care of our raptors!
Phone: (410) 643-3101
myvet@chesvethosp.com
Adoptors
Max and Mariah Demerest
Leland and Noah Zeitlin
Ella Jones
Kathleen Monahan
Janice Slaby
Caden and Sadie Latchaw
Olivier Derrendinger
Ben and Joel Berger
Henry and Penelope Flemming
Ralph Kirchner
Sara Shelley
Henry Leskinan and Jamie Kean
John Rogers
Monika Rehlman
Sterling Beasley
Patrick Kerner
Laura Connor
Michelle Hanson