Veterinarian describes raptor rehab

Avian specialist Jeff Cooney, DVM, helps injured eagles, hawks, owls and falcons return to the wild.

The veterinarian described his work at Central Oregon Community College’s Lunch and Learn program in Sisters on Wednesday, May 4.

Meeting at Sisters Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, the audience heard Cooney describe patient care in a raptor care facility. He worked for a time at the Sunriver rehabilitation center and still helps there on call.

Cooney displayed slides of birds including eagles, falcons, kites and owls — some injured, some uninjured.

“Birds of prey are cool,” he told his audience. “They display talons, sharp curved beaks and acute binocular vision for hunting their prey.”

Cooney received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Oregon State University and did a three-year residency at the University of Minnesota Raptor Center.

He described the rehabilitation process for raptors, showing intensive care cages for injured birds. Birds are treated in these cages, then moved to larger recovery cages and finally into flight cages. This progression is necessary since the birds, besides being injured and recovering, are many times quite distressed in the rehab setting which is abnormal for them.

“About 40 percent of the injured raptors are released after treatment back into the wild. Those whose injuries prevent release are kept at other, more protective facilities such as the High Desert Museum in Bend,” he said.

There tend to be two times of year when raptor injuries spike.

“During springtime and after birth of new babies, many of them fall from the nests and are brought to the rehab center,” Cooney said.

Another spike occurs in the fall during hunting season and bird migrations.

Cooney teaches in the biology program at COCC and does consulting work at the raptor rehab center and makes other veterinary calls.