By Emily Burke
Skegemog Raptor Center
Takes Flight
Back in January of 2021, James Manley, a 15-year veteran volunteer for Wings of Wonder (WoW)—the Empirebased raptor rehabilitation organization headed by Rebecca Lessard—was being interviewed by a journalist covering Lessard’s retirement. (See the sidebar for more on that.) When the journalist asked Manley what would happen to all the birds who would need help in the future, he recalls, “I realized that it was going to take more than me just [rehabilitating] a handful of birds on my own.” Manley incorporated Skegemog Raptor Center (SRC) a month later and then went public and gained nonprofit status in August of 2021. In that first year, SRC admitted 74 raptors—a group of birds comprising eagles, hawks, owls, vultures, falcons, harriers, and osprey—from 20 different counties across northern Michigan, everything from four-ounce kestrels to bald eagles. This year, they are on track for admitting more than 100 birds. “There’s definitely a huge need,” says Manley. “As the human population grows in northern Michigan and as some of the raptor populations bounce back … there’s just a whole new slew of dangers.” The Problems Though about 80 percent of their patients are hit by cars, SRC has also treated birds that have flown into building windows, have become ensnared in fishing lines, have been shot, or are suffering from lead poisoning. Because car accidents are such an issue, Manley encourages people to slow down while driving to avoid vehicle collisions with wildlife, take a break from their screens, and “do something little [for the environment], because if we all work together on this, then that’s how we’re going to make a difference.” On top of all these existing threats, SRC has recently been dealing with avian influenza, which adds complications like having to swab and quarantine newlyadmitted birds, traveling long distances to remote quarantine sites, and donning a Tyvek suit during interactions with quarantined birds. “It’s been a tough spring so far,” says Manley. “Some other centers are not admitting birds because of the flu, so I’ve been inundated with patients just in the past four weeks. That’s part of rehab though,” he adds. “We just have to roll with the punches.” The Solutions Though it may have been a difficult few months for SRC, Manley has plenty of successful rehabilitations to celebrate. One notable success story involves the first eagle ever admitted to SRC’s care. When found, the bird couldn’t fly but could still swim, so when it jumped in the lake and swam out to an island, Manley and his team followed. Upon examination, Manley discovered that the bird had been shot and had a fractured wing. He found bits of metal and glass in its pellets, which it likely consumed while surviving on rodents from the nearby dump. It took about 12 weeks of patient feeding, medical care, and conditioning, but SRC was ultimately able to release the eagle last June. Indeed, releasing birds they’ve rehabilitated is Manley’s favorite part of the job. “People ask me if I get attached,” he says. “I don’t. I mean, they’re wild birds. I don’t miss them. I’m so happy they’re out the door.” To illustrate his point, he tells the story of an eagle he
24 • may 23, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly
