Rescuing Raptors: Stories About Birds of Prey Rescues

Nancy McDonald
  • 5.0 (3)
  • NATURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Raptor Rescue is my story of how I rescue, capture, help rehab, renest and release birds of prey. I share stories of my most memorable rescues, how I do them and the equipment I use. I'll also do interviews with falconers, raptor rehabbers and experts who do educational programs using birds of prey. Some of the topics I will cover will include euthanasia, descriptions of injuries and illnesses and controversial topics about the harm humans inflict on raptors. You can also follow me on Instagram (@rescuingraptors) where I post pictures and stories of my rescues as they occur.

  1. 04/02/2024

    Raptors On The Ground Won't Survive

    The longer a bird of prey is on the ground, the less chance it has of surviving. Nancy McDonald discusses this and what you, the finder, can do. Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years. She started out transporting sick and injured birds of prey and moved onto rescuing, renesting and releasing raptors in Maryland, primarily along the Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding rivers and creeks. Nancy's volunteer rescues have been featured in stories locally in the Capital Gazette, on WTOP and WMAR, as well as nationally in the New York Times and American Forestry magazine. Nancy also provides information on building raptor nest baskets, osprey platforms and owl boxes. She does speaking engagements that provide facts and information about ospreys that live on the Chesapeake Bay. Nancy also does public education programs featuring live birds of prey that are native to Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. Nancy is a retired U.S. Federal government employee and U.S. Army veteran. She now runs her own consultancy, which gives her the flexibility to quickly respond to requests for rescues. When not working or doing raptor rescues and care, she enjoys sailing, working out and spending time with her spouse, two cats and dog. You can also follow Nancy on social media, where she posts her rescues, renestings and releases. https://www.instagram.com/rescuingraptors/ https://post.news/@/rescuingraptors https://www.threads.net/@rescuingraptors

    5 min

  2. 03/11/2024

    Rescuing & Renesting Baby Raptors

    What should you do if you come across a baby bird of prey on the ground, out of the nest? Listen to this episode to discover what you can to help baby raptors get renested safely. About Nancy McDonald: Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years. She started out transporting sick and injured birds of prey and moved onto rescuing, renesting and releasing raptors in Maryland, primarily along the Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding rivers and creeks. Nancy's volunteer rescues have been featured in stories locally in the Capital Gazette, on WTOP and WMAR, as well as nationally in the New York Times and American Forestry magazine. Nancy also provides information on building raptor nest baskets, osprey platforms and owl boxes. She does speaking engagements that provide facts and information about ospreys that live on the Chesapeake Bay. Nancy also does public education programs featuring live birds of prey that are native to Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. Nancy is a retired U.S. Federal government employee and U.S. Army veteran. She now runs her own consultancy, which gives her the flexibility to quickly respond to requests for rescues. When not working or doing raptor rescues and care, she enjoys sailing, working out and spending time with her spouse, two cats and dog. You can also follow Nancy on social media, where she posts her rescues, renestings and releases. https://www.instagram.com/rescuingraptors/ https://post.news/@/rescuingraptors https://www.threads.net/@rescuingraptors

    6 min

  3. 08/15/2023

    Raptor Water Rescues - How To Safely Plan and Complete A Rescue

    One of the most dramatic - and risk-laden rescues - are water rescues. Tune in now to hear how to plan ahead for a water rescue. This is what you'll learn: The gear you'll need to keep you safe Rescue technique Safety considerations Water conditions Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years. She started out transporting sick and injured birds of prey and moved onto rescuing, renesting and releasing raptors in Maryland, primarily along the Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding rivers and creeks. Nancy's volunteer rescues have been featured in stories locally in the Capital Gazette, on WTOP and WMAR, as well as nationally in the New York Times and American Forestry magazine. Nancy also provides information on building raptor nest baskets, osprey platforms and owl boxes. She does speaking engagements that provide facts and information about ospreys that live on the Chesapeake Bay. Nancy also does public education programs featuring live birds of prey that are native to Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. Nancy is a retired U.S. Federal government employee and U.S. Army veteran. She now runs her own consultancy, which gives her the flexibility to quickly respond to requests for rescues. When not working or doing raptor rescues and care, she enjoys sailing, working out and spending time with her spouse, two cats and dog. You can also follow Nancy on Instagram, where she posts her rescues, renestings and releases.

    11 min

  4. 07/16/2023

    Bird of Prey Transport Basics

    People who want to be part of rehabbing raptors don't always want to do the rescues, but just as importantly, they can transport the sick, injured or orphaned bird of prey to the rehabber. In this episode, I go over the basic do's and don'ts of successfully transporting raptors. Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years. She started out transporting sick and injured birds of prey and moved onto rescuing, renesting and releasing raptors in Maryland, primarily along the Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding rivers and creeks. Nancy's volunteer rescues have been featured in stories locally in the Capital Gazette, on WTOP and WMAR, as well as nationally in the New York Times and American Forestry magazine. Nancy also provides information on building raptor nest baskets, osprey platforms and owl boxes. She does speaking engagements that provide facts and information about ospreys that live on the Chesapeake Bay. Nancy also does public education programs featuring live birds of prey that are native to Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. Nancy is a retired U.S. Federal government employee and U.S. Army veteran. She now runs her own consultancy, which gives her the flexibility to quickly respond to requests for rescues. When not working or doing raptor rescues and care, she enjoys sailing, working out and spending time with her spouse, two cats and dog. You can also follow Nancy on ⁠Instagram⁠, where she posts her rescues, renestings and releases.

    10 min

  5. 04/30/2023

    Safety Considerations When Rescuing Raptors

    Rescuing wildlife can be dangerous. In this episode, I talk about the safety considerations that should be factored in before you hit the ground running to rescue a hawk, eagle or owl. These safety considerations include: High crime areas Bad weather Water rescues Hostile terrain The birds themselves You'll learn some of the things I do for myself to stay safe while rescuing birds of prey. Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years. She started out transporting sick and injured birds of prey and moved onto rescuing, renesting and releasing raptors in Maryland, primarily along the Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding rivers and creeks. Nancy's volunteer rescues have been featured in stories locally in the Capital Gazette, on WTOP and WMAR, as well as nationally in the New York Times and American Forestry magazine. Nancy also provides information on building raptor nest baskets, osprey platforms and owl boxes. She does speaking engagements that provide facts and information about ospreys that live on the Chesapeake Bay. Nancy also does public education programs featuring live birds of prey that are native to Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. Nancy is a retired U.S. Federal government employee and U.S. Army veteran. She now runs her own consultancy, which gives her the flexibility to quickly respond to requests for rescues. When not working or doing raptor rescues and care, she enjoys sailing, working out and spending time with her spouse, two cats and dog. You can also follow Nancy on Instagram, where she posts her rescues, renestings and releases.

    12 min

  6. 03/31/2023

    Baby GHOW Renesting Party

    Usually when I renest a baby bird, it's a cause for celebration on a very small scale. However, my very first baby raptor renesting was a large party - in honor of the owl! It turned out well for everyone, but especially for the baby owl - give it a listen! Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years. She started out transporting sick and injured birds of prey and moved onto rescuing, renesting and releasing raptors in Maryland, primarily along the Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding rivers and creeks. Nancy's volunteer rescues have been featured in stories locally in the Capital Gazette, on WTOP and WMAR, as well as nationally in the New York Times and American Forestry magazine. Nancy also provides information on building raptor nest baskets, osprey platforms and owl boxes. She does speaking engagements that provide facts and information about ospreys that live on the Chesapeake Bay. Nancy also does public education programs featuring live birds of prey that are native to Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. Nancy is a retired U.S. Federal government employee and U.S. Army veteran. She now runs her own consultancy, which gives her the flexibility to quickly respond to requests for rescues. When not working or doing raptor rescues and care, she enjoys sailing, working out and spending time with her spouse, two cats and dog. You can also follow Nancy on Instagram, where she posts her rescues, renestings and releases.

    6 min

  7. 03/23/2023

    The Migratory Bird Treaty Act and The Bald and Golden Eagle Act

    Did you know birds, including raptors, are federally protected here in the U.S.? Did you also know that our two eagle species - the Bald and Golden - have additional protection? If not, tune in to this episode and hear a brief description of these two federal acts. If you ever decide you'd like to work with birds of prey, it's a good idea to understand what these acts are about. Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years. She started out transporting sick and injured birds of prey and moved onto rescuing, renesting and releasing raptors in Maryland, primarily along the Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding rivers and creeks. Nancy's volunteer rescues have been featured in stories locally in the Capital Gazette, on WTOP and WMAR, as well as nationally in the New York Times and American Forestry magazine. Nancy also provides information on building raptor nest baskets, osprey platforms and owl boxes. She does speaking engagements that provide facts and information about ospreys that live on the Chesapeake Bay. Nancy also does public education programs featuring live birds of prey that are native to Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. Nancy is a retired U.S. Federal government employee and U.S. Army veteran. She now runs her own consultancy, which gives her the flexibility to quickly respond to requests for rescues. When not working or doing raptor rescues and care, she enjoys sailing, working out and spending time with her spouse, two cats and dog. You can also follow Nancy on Instagram, where she posts her rescues, renestings and releases.

    9 min

  8. 03/14/2023

    5 Common Reasons Birds Of Prey Get Injured - And How They Can Be Avoided.

    Sadly, most of the injured raptors we rescue are hurt in ways that can be avoided. In this episode, I'm going to talk about the five most common ways I am called out to rescue injured birds of prey. They are: Car strikes window strikes lead poisoning rodenticide fishing line entanglements  Nancy is a volunteer raptor rescuer who has been planning, coordinating and doing bird of prey rescues for over five years. She started out transporting sick and injured birds of prey and moved onto rescuing, renesting and releasing raptors in Maryland, primarily along the Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding rivers and creeks. Nancy's volunteer rescues have been featured in stories locally on WTOP and WMAR, as well as nationally in the New York Times and American Forestry magazine. Nancy also provides information on building raptor nest baskets, osprey platforms and owl boxes. She does speaking engagements that provide facts and information about ospreys that live on the Chesapeake Bay. Nancy also does public education programs featuring live birds of prey that are native to Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. Nancy is a retired U.S. Federal government employee and U.S. Army veteran. She now runs her own consultancy, which gives her the flexibility to quickly respond to requests for rescues. When not working or doing raptor rescues and care, she enjoys sailing, working out and spending time with her spouse, two cats and dog. You can also follow Nancy on Instagram, where she posts her rescues, renestings and releases.

    11 min
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About

Raptor Rescue is my story of how I rescue, capture, help rehab, renest and release birds of prey. I share stories of my most memorable rescues, how I do them and the equipment I use. I'll also do interviews with falconers, raptor rehabbers and experts who do educational programs using birds of prey. Some of the topics I will cover will include euthanasia, descriptions of injuries and illnesses and controversial topics about the harm humans inflict on raptors. You can also follow me on Instagram (@rescuingraptors) where I post pictures and stories of my rescues as they occur.

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