Rehab & Release
SOAR provides care for well over 300 birds each year that have been injured or orphaned, primarily from western Iowa.
Peli and horned owls released
In early October, a young pelican at Swan Lake State Park was reported to be not acting like a wild bird – this peli let people get far too close! This pelican was picked up and taken to SOAR for an exam. Turned out this pelican lacked energy from being thin and dealing with external
Clarke rescued
Many thanks to the family that rescued this hatch-year 2021 bald eagle. Unfortunately, we know this eagle was, as we say, HBC or “hit by car.” The rescuing family was in the vehicle that struck this young eagle as he flew straight up out of the ditch. The driver did slow, but still impacted this
Laurel on the high perch
Laurel is a hatch-year 2021 bald eagle from south of the town of Laurel, Iowa in Marshall County. Here’s a snippet of her admit: https://soarraptors.org/2021/09/mid-september-admits/ After a month in rehab, this girl is just now getting to the high perch in the 60′ flight pen. This just tells us that she was pretty banged up
2021 Annual Release Recap
We musts give thanks to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation for hosting SOAR’s 2021 annual release celebration at the former Iowa 4-H Camp! We estimated about 120 folks celebrated these raptors return to the skies. Enjoy this collection of photos! Thanks to photographers Terrie Hoefer and Christopher Knisley. Photo attribution got lopped off in the
Bald Eagle Released
The rescuers of this bald eagle were able to join us at the 2021 Annual Release and open this eagle’s crate door! [That right there should tell you how feisty this girl is!]
Mid-September Admits
Birdie migration has begun! With that, we expect to see a few raptors get themselves in a pickle and need an assist. With some species, like bald eagles, we can tell adults from juveniles, while in most species by this time of the year juveniles and adults look the same. Alex from Sioux County (Iowa)
Annual Release Soon
SOAR’s annual release celebration has a new location for 2021! Sunday, October 3, 2021 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. The former Iowa 4-H Camp, 1991 Peach Ave, Madrid, Iowa Our host for this event is the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF). INHF purchased the entire property from the Iowa 4-H Foundation to protect the camp’s natural
Eagles soft-released
This picture details who went where last week! Two eagles were moved to the 100′ flight pen and the others were soft released on 11 September 2021. A soft-release is one where after the ready patient is used to eating and navigating in that flight pen, the hack window / door is then opened and
Crusher
This hatch-year 2021 (HY21) bald eagle found herself in a predicament! For some reason she got down inside a rock and gravel crusher and once there did not have enough room to spread her wings and get herself out. (This happened a few years back to another HY21 bald eagle that got stuck in a
Recent Releases
On 2 September 2021, two kestrels, two great horned owls, and two hatch-year 2021 turkey vultures were released. The vultures left the building… sort of!