We visited the University of Minnesota Raptor Center today. The raptor center is a combination vet/education center for and about raptors. They take in wounded raptors form all over the country and do their best to heal them, and then release them back into the wild.
Some birds, while healed, can’t be released back into the wild due to the nature of their injury. An eagle with a badly healed broken wing that has been rendered flightless, for example, or a peregrine falcon that’s lost her depth perception. These birds are kept around and cared for and shown to people to help with education about raptors.
If you’re in the area, you should definitely visit (and, if possible, give them money. They have cheesy t-shirts you can buy).
Anyway, since this is the photo blog, here are some raptors:
Red Tail Hawk:
Great Horned Owl:
Obligatory Bald Eagle:
