Sitka’s Alaska Raptor Center (ARC) The Alaska Raptor Center is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization located in Sitka, Alaska. They aim to rehabilitate and release injured raptors from across Southeast Alaska. Some of the birds who are non-releasable become “Raptors-in-Residence”. The facility was first established in 1980 and currently treats between 100 to 200 birds per year. All data was obtained from this facility in a 15-year period.

Audubon Christmas Bird Count In 1900, Frank M. Chapman proposed the Christmas Bird Count. Each year this bird census runs from December 14th to January 5th all over North America. The goal is to guide conservation by evaluating the health of bird populations. Thus, it is necessary to obtain population counts. Raptor populations of Alaska are observed fluctuating in winter seasons. Red-tailed hawks and western screech-owls had consistently low winter populations. The record of high sharp-shinned hawk population was recorded in the winter of 2009 with an estimated count of 18 individuals.

E-Bird Checklists E-bird, an online birding database was launched in 2002. It allows birders, amateurs and experts to document any species heard or seen by means of an online checklist. These checklists are reviewed by local researchers before being added to the public database. Sightings that seem unusual are evaluated by local-area biologists. This database considers populations of species on a full year basis, rather than seasonally. While utilizing this site, raptor populations were observed fluctuating or remaining stable throughout 15 years (Figure 1). In fact, there was a record high of 2,059 Red-tailed hawks in 2015 (Figure 1: blue line).

Figure 1: E-Bird Raptor Populations

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Raptors in Rehabilitation For more information, check out

these references:

www.allaboutbirds.org www.audubon.org www.ebird.org www.alaskaraptor.org www.alaska.fws.gov www.theraptortrust.org

Introduction The American Bald Eagle Foundation staff was interested in looking at why raptors enter rehabilitation within Southeast Alaska. Interns used a Chi (pronounced kai)-Square Statistical Test of Independence. This determines if 95 percent of all raptors in the dataset were expected to enter the facility for one admit reason more often than another. Additionally, a Chi-Square Goodness of Fit Test was used to determine if a high number of raptors in rehabilitation were simply the result of larger populations of specific species in the area. Determining the likelihood and causes of raptors entering rehabilitation centers allows us to suggest preventatives which the public can

employ to prevent the fatality of individuals. What is a Raptor?

Raptors are birds of prey that hunt with their feet, have keen senses, and downward curved beaks. Because they are obligate carnivores, they must eat the whole prey items.

American Bald Eagle Foundation113 Haines Hwy, Haines, Alaska 99827

Phone: 907-766-3094www.baldeagles.org

Special thanks to the Alaska Raptor Center who provided the data for this brochure.Information complied by Amanda Cox ©

2016

Preventatives- Contact a rehabilitation center, the US Fish and Wildlife Service or animal control when a bird requires assistance. - Pick up litter to prevent entanglement, ingestion and/or impact injuries. - Utilize safe alternatives to chemicals and poisons. - Decorate windows or close blinds to prevent impact injuries. - Report sick or dead birds:(Alaska: 1-866-527-3358).- Get involved with your local rehabilitation center to learn more.

Definitions of ARC Admit Reasons

Only the three most common species admitted to ARC (other than bald eagles) were analyzed. To prevent skew when analyzing the data, raptors were categorized into ten various admit reasons. The admit reason “Human Misc” includes raptors suffering from man-made injuries such as; caught in animal traps, fishing nets or gear, and man-made fires. However those admitted because they were electrocuted by power lines, or suffering toxicity from pesticides or chemicals could also be considered indirectly injured by humans. The same could be said for those entering due to “impact” injuries; which include car and plane collisions or structure collisions. The admit reason “animal” is a shorthand for raptors caught by other animals. “FON/FOG” is a shorthand admit reason for fell out of nest or found on ground, which can include adults on the ground who seem unhealthy but with no known causes. The “ill/injury” category includes raptors that have diagnosed illnesses (i.e. avian pox) or injuries (i.e. fractured bones).

Reasons Raptors Enter ARC Figure 2: Reasons Red-Tailed Hawks enter ARC

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As a result of statistical testing, 95 percent of red-tailed hawks that were analyzed entered ARC due to

illness/injury (33.33%) and human misc. (33.33%). It was expected that impact would be the biggest issue for this hawk species, but they actually entered rehabilitation due to impact less than statistically expected (11.11%) (Figure 2).

Figure 3: Reasons Sharp-Shinned Hawks enter ARC

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Among the sharp-shinned hawks, 95 percent analyzed were admitted for impact injuries (73.33%), which is only slightly more than statistically expected (Figure 3: blue vs. red bars). Whereas the other causes for admit were within expectation (Figure 3).

Figure 4: Reasons Western Screech-Owls enter ARC

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Impact injuries (79.54%) were observed as the most common issue for western screech-owls. This was only slightly more than expected (Figure 4: blue vs. red). Human Misc, Electrocution, and FON/FOG were all less than statistically expected (Figure 4).

Those admitted as a result of unknown causes were omitted from the data set. Therefore, nine red-tailed hawks were analyzed rather than 11 individuals. Only 15 sharp-shinned hawks were analyzed instead of 20, and 44 western-screech owls were analyzed from the 55 total individuals.

Awareness

The three species most commonly admitted to ARC seem to be more susceptible to impact injuries and illnesses/injuries. Unfortunately, many of the injuries birds suffer from are a direct or indirect result of human impact. This explains sustained injuries as well as collision injuries and electrocution. It is important that the public is aware most diseases which affect birds cannot be transmitted to people. However, these birds do require treatment and should be admitted to a rehabilitation center as soon as possible. Thus, it is our responsibility as community members to familiarize ourselves with rehabilitation centers in our area.

Preventatives suggested by the American Bald Eagle Foundation are located on the back of this

brochure.