Aurora, NE

[Coyote]

Raptors act as ‘educational ambassadors’ for Edgerton on the Move



AURORA, Neb. (KOLN) - At the Edgerton Explorit Center, kids can learn about science while playing at the exhibits, and thanks to a program called Edgerton on the Move, communities across the state can experience interactive learning opportunities. One of the demonstrations is called Raptorology: Science of Raptors. For this Edgerton on the Move session, staff members bring live, predatory birds for students to see up close. “(Students) can see, ‘oh, they have a curved beak,’” said Deb Miller, an Edgerton on the Move educator. “It’s not the same as what you would see from a robin. Look at those talons. Those are specific for catching their prey. So there’s a lot of things they can see up close and we can learn a bit about their different diets too.” Miller started the raptor program in 2019, after developing a love for birds through photography. Staff members built structures to house the birds, got special permits and received training at Fontanelle Forest to learn how to care for raptors.

The birds cannot be released into the wild because of injuries that prevent flight. The museum has rescued and trained a Swainson’s Hawk named Roy, an American Kestrel named Ted and a Screech Owl named Doc. Miller is also training a Bald Eagle named Aquila to be an educational ambassador for his species. The raptors are used for educational purposes, so they are not on display for the public. Funds from Edgerton on the Move are used to feed the birds. The Raptorology: Science of Raptors demonstrations are for all ages. Some of the options include dissecting owl pellets, learning about owl eyesight and examining how birds engineer nests.

You can learn more by visiting the Edgerton Explorit Center’s Edgerton Explorit Center’s website.
Aquila the Eagle named after Aquila Constellation