JANUARY 2021
THANK
YOU
for making Giving Tuesday a success for the birds! Thanks to you, we raised $4600!

Thanks also to those of you who donated to our ongoing Save-a-Raptor campaign! You have helped us raise over $4000!

Also, we raised over $3900 from sales of the beautiful 2021 Soarin' Hawk calendar.

Thanks to those of you who made Soarin' Hawk your "designated charity" at smile.amazon.com, we received a check from amazon.com for $148.38. To date, we've received over $1200 from Amazon Smile. You can designate us as your charity at smile.amazon.com, then be sure you shop at Amazon Smile when you shop at amazon.

These fundraisers helped make up part of the income we lost from the COVID crisis, and we are grateful to you all for your generosity.
MEET THE NEW EDUCATION BIRDS!
Poe - Turkey Vulture

On July 14, 2020, Soarin' Hawk received a call from Andrea S. in Butler. She had a turkey vulture in her yard that was trying to fly, but couldn't. We sent Kristen Werling to bring the young vulture in for examination, which found that he was missing half of his left wing.

Even though the exposed bone in his wing had begun to heal, Poe was medicated for pain and given an antibiotic to prevent infection. He was surprisingly healthy, considering his situation.

When Poe came to us, we were already training Ehr, our other turkey vulture, to be an education bird, but Ehr had been nervous. When Ehr and Poe began sharing a pen, Ehr became calmer, and more receptive to interacting with humans. On October 24, 2020, Poe officially became an education bird for Soarin' Hawk. He and Ehr have become good friends, and both of them are doing well in their training. Their favorite meal is fresh fish, thanks to all of the anglers out there who have donated some or all of their catch.
“In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences.”
~ Robert Green Ingersoll
A NEW AND VERY SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU!
Experience Your Very Own Raptor Adventure!
A SPECIAL NOTE FROM GIGI,
OUR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Hello everyone!

Our orientations will start back up again in late January. Watch our web site for dates! In the meantime, you can always email me to get info on volunteering with Soarin’ Hawk!

Stay well!
Gigi Stewart, Volunteer Coordinator


RESCUE OF THE MONTH - Great Horned Owl
On December 18, our rescue line got a call from Tony & Tara W., reporting a great horned owl in one of their home's window wells. Because the space was narrow and deep, the owl was unable to get out. We dispatched Jennifer Lanning, who was able to access the window well from the basement and capture the owl. After a quick check for injuries, Jennifer released the owl in Tony and Tara's front yard. Happy to be free, the owl flew beautifully, and landed high in a nearby tree.

Please, please remember: If you find an injured bird or animal, you give them the best chance at survival by contacting a DNR-permitted rehabber as soon as possible. By law, you may keep the injured one for only 24 hours. While you search for a rehab, do not hold or pet the animal, and do not feed or give it water. Just put it in a box in quiet place, away from activity and noise. If you have difficulty finding a licensed rehab for a non-raptor, call the Soarin' Hawk rescue line (260-241-0134) and we will help you try to find someone.
WHAT HAPPENED TO PRIOR MONTHS' FEATURED RESCUES?
10062020 Peregrine Falcon (tundra) - The Tundra Peregrine is still with us. His keel injury has been slow to heal. However, he is very active and feisty, and is eating well, all of which is very encouraging.

11182020 Short-eared owl - Unfortunately, the broken bones in this little owl's wing had become necrotic, so repairing the wing was not possible. He was humanely euthanized to relieve his suffering.
CELEBRATING YOUR GENEROSITY

Thanks to all of you who donated on Giving Tuesday!
J. Beach, K. Becker, J. Beery, A. Butler, A. Candor, B. Clark, C. Clifford, R. Guerin, M. Koher, M. Dobbs, M. Gabet, T. Gorney, L. Green, S. Hansen, T. Hildreth, J. Hollingsworth, R. Juergensen, J. Kaminski, S. McDaniels, S. Mickem, R. Phillips, B. Reel, L. Silvey, D. Snavely, M. Voors, D. Ward, C. & V. White, N. Witters, T. Yeager, A. Zepke

Thanks to December Save-a-Raptor donors . . .
Anonymous; Automotive Hardware Services; J. Berner; Blackbaud Giving Fund; B. Brown; A. Butler; J. Cassel; D. & L. Conkle; D. Dabal; English, Bonter, Mitchell Foundation; K. Forrester; Z. Gabet; E. Garcia; L. Gump; T. Hegemier; T. Hemingway; M. Jordan; P. & K. Kirk; R. Knuth; E. & B. Lindvall; S. Mann; D. Meadows; M. Menden; A. Ott; H. & R. Owen; Harrison Phillips; J. Price; S. Rhody; C. Rose; J. Schroff; C. & D. Shook; M. & R. Stimmler; Sweetwater Sound; M. Young

. . . and thanks to the donors who give each and every month!
Amazon Smile, Bob Rohrman Subaru, S. Bowman, P. Davich, L. Dearing, D. Freed, Kroger Community Rewards, S. McInnis, Network for Good, L. Ostergren

Congratulations! It's an Owl and a Kestrel! (Adoption Announcement!!)
Sherman the Short-eared Owl and Tawney the American Kestrel have been adopted by Diane MacMillan! Thank you, Diane!

Big thanks to Kealan, whose fishing prowess resulted in many fish dinners for Jefferson, Ehr, and Poe.

If you have fish you'd like to donate, please call our rescue line (260-241-0134) to arrange for pickup or delivery.



THIS IS WHY
11192020 EASO(1) - Eastern Screech Owl #1 - On the night of November 18th, 2020, Jeanne found an Eastern Screech Owl lying on the ground below her window. Volunteer Louie Lee went to rescue the bird the next morning. Upon his arrival, Jeanne had the owl contained in a cardboard box. The more Louie disturbed the bird, the more active it became. Louie transported the little guy to our ICU where (hooray!) no injuries were found. We kept him for a few days in one of our rehab enclosures, where he had the company of another screech owl that was brought in the same day, with similar symptoms. After we were sure he could fly well and find food, he was ready for release. He was released where he came from on Thanksgiving Day.

11192020 EASO(2) - Eastern Screech Owl #2 - On November 19th, we received a call about an eastern screech owl that had been sitting on someone's front porch in Huntertown, Indiana. The homeowner said that the owl had been there for approximately six hours. Volunteer Emily reported that the owl wasn't startled when she came near him, and he seemed dazed. She was able to walk over to the owl and pick him up. Emily brought him to our ICU, where an examination revealed that the owl was healthy, and had no injuries, so we moved him to our rehabilitation enclosures to be observed for a few days to ensure he could fly well and find food on his own.

On Thanksgiving Day, Emily released the little guy back at his home where, despite running into a screen door after he came out of the transport box, he flew beautifully.

Watch more December releases

Peregrine Falcon 10272020 - Released December 5 - See story/watch video

Eastern Screech Owl 11232020 - Released December 12 - See story

American Kestrel 12152020 - Released December 19 - See story

Great Horned Owl 07212020 - Released December 19 - See story/watch video

Eastern Screech Owl 12112020 - Released December 26 - See story/watch video

Red-Tailed Hawk 08042020 - Released December 29 - See story/watch video
NO WORDS
DID YOU KNOW...
How Old Is That Eagle?
"Plumage" refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, color, and arrangement of those feathers.

In their five-year development to adulthood, bald eagles go through one of the most varied plumage changes of any North American bird. During its first four weeks of life, an eaglet's fluffy white down changes to a grey, wooly down. At about five weeks, brown and black feathers begin to grow. It becomes fully feathered at 10 weeks of age. In its first year, the mostly dark-colored juvenile can often be mistaken for a golden eagle; however, the bald eagle progressively changes until it reaches adult plumage at five years. Notice in the pictures how its dark eye lightens throughout its first four years of life, until it becomes yellow. Also, see how its beak changes from grey-black to a vibrant yellow.

It's believed that the dark, more mottled plumage of a young eagle serves as camouflage, while the white head and tail announce that it is of breeding age. (from Southwest Bald Eagle Management Committee)

We were able to rescue this beautiful Tundra Peregrine Falcon, thanks to donations from folks like you. Won't you make a donation now so we can help others like this falcon? No contribution is too small!

Your donation is tax deductible.