Abstract
By Stephen R. Rapp
In recent decades a public awareness has developed concerning the plight of birds of prey, also known as raptors. Indiscriminate shooting and trapping, collisions with automobiles, barbed wire fences, power lines, and other manmade structures as well as loss of habitat and pesticide poisoning have contributed to the decline of many rapror species. Unless measures are instituted to halt the decline of not only raptors but all endangered species, it is very possible that in our lifetime we could see the disappearance of many species from the face of the earth. Long range solutions, including environmental education of the public, wise land usage, and reduction in the use of pesticides are necessary although we must also design management programs to deal with immediate problems facing those species presently in danger of extinction. The peregrine falcon was brought back from near extinction in North America through the intensive efforts of raptor biologists. Must we wait until such a perilous point is reached with other species before instituting management programs to preserve them?
R.R.P.P., Inc.
In Missouri, the red shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus), the Cooper's hawk (Accipiter coopenii, the sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter stn.atus), the marsh hawk (Circus cyaneus), the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), the bald eagle (Ha!iaeetus !eucocepha!us), the osprey (Pandion ha!iaetus), and the barn owl (Ty to alba) are all listed as endangered species by the Missouri Department of Conservation.
In an effort to preserve these magnificent but dwindling creatures, the author assisted Walter C. Crawford, Jr., in establishing the Rapror Rehabilitation and Propagation Project Inc., (R.R.P.P., Inc.). The R.R.P.P .. Inc. is located at Washington University's Tyson Research Center near Eureka, Missouri, approximately fifteen miles west of Sr. Louis. Originally established to rehabilitate injured raprors, the project has since expanded to include captive propagation of endangered ra ptor species, research and education. The R.R.P.P., Inc. is a non-profit, tax exempt organization relying solely on contributions from interested individuals, groups, and corporations for support. Funding is also received from university and governmental sources in the form of research grants to support specialized research projects. A notable aspect of the
• St. Louis, Missouri
R.R.P.P., Inc. is that all personnel, including the director, are volunteers, receiving no salary for their work. Facilities
Through various generous financial support of local corporations, individuals, and the Missouri Department of Conservation, rhe project has designed and built facilities to house raprors undergoing rehabilitation, for research programs and for cap rive propagation. Rehabilitation facilities include a surgery and pose-operative care area as well as several outdoor enclosures to house recovering and permanently injured, unreleasable birds. Additional facilities house incubators and hand rearing equipment as well as a Coturnix quail colony. The Missouri Department of Conservation had financed three facilities used for captive propagation. These are multi-chambered buildings that allow breeding pairs to be housed and maintained under conditions that are conducive to successful propagation. Ar the present rime these are being used for the captive propagation of barn owls. Two of the buildings consist of chambers with one-way viewing glass that allows project members ro conduct derailed behavioral observations. Additional facilities house breeding pairs of golden eagles (Aquzfa crysaetos), red shouldered hawks, Cooper hawks, marsh hawks and sharp-shinned hawks as well as American kestrels (Falco sparverius).
Rehabilitation
The R.R.P.P., Inc. has created 318 injured raptors that were brought ro us by local park rangers, concerned individuals, state and federal wildlife agents over the past three years. Our initial action upon receiving an injured bird is ro stabilize its condition and then institute repararive measures. If a broken bone is suspected, radiographs are taken. With the assistance of local veterinarians, the injury is created and the bird is housed in indoor facilities until its condition has stabilized. Once stable, the bird is moved to outdoor facilities where it is housed until its wounds are completely healed. When recovered, the bird is allowed to exercise in the outdoor facilities and ultimately, is released back in to the wild. In an effort to document the success of the rehabilitated birds, the project is currently seeking funding to obtain transmitters that will allow us to track them after their release.
In 1979, we developed a prosthetic limb for use on golden eagles that have suffered the loss of a foot due to a steel
trap or gunshot injury. While not a functioning limb, this prosthetic device allows the bird to perch naturally, to support its weight on both legs rather than one. This reduces the chances of a foot problem such as bumblefoot occuring on the remaining limb since, without the prosthesis, the bird would have to rely on only one limb to support all its weight. A bird with this device could never be released; however, it could lead a much less stressed, hopefully reproductive life in captivity.
Propagation
Occasionally, a bird will suffer an injury requiring amputation of a foot or wing, or suffer permanent, restricted use of such a limb and thus cannot be released. As an alternative to euthansia, we began utilizing many of these birds for our captive propagation program. Through the release of captive-bred offspring, these crippled birds are still contributing to the maintenance of their species. In addition to crippled, unreleasable birds, raptors from zoos, nature centers and government research facilities are also used for captive breeding programs. In particular, five pairs of barn owls from Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, form the core of our barn owl breeding colony, which currently consists of 10 breeding pairs. Our goal is to establish large scale breeding programs with those raptors that are classified as endangered species in Missouri and on which not much captive work has been done. Several institutions are working with well known raptor species such as the peregrine falcon and the bald eagle; however, there are very few working with lesser known species such as the Cooper's hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, red shouldered hawk, marsh hawk and the barn owl. These five species form the core of the R.R.P.P., Inc.'s captive propagation program.
The initial step in any captive propagation program is the pairing up of prospective mates in a facility that is conducive to breeding. Since the sexual dimorphism in size between males and females among most raptor species is not a reliable indicator of sex, our breeding pairs are accurately sexed using an otoscope or laparoscope for internal visualization of the gonads. This is a safe and commonly used technique to accurately sex birds.
Breeding chambers are made of solid wood construction with a large four by eight window in the rear wall of each chamber along with a smaller one foot by eight foot window near the ceiling in the front of the chamber for ventilation.