Wildlife Rehab of Northwest Montana
Meet our Education Ambassadors:
Our number one goal is always to release animals we intake back into the wild. However, many factors must be considered before an animal is cleared to be released. If a bird has an eye, head, or wing injury, then we need to make sure it will be able to perform at 100%. Unfortunately, sometimes we cannot get a bird back to 100%. Common injuries such as broken wings and permanently damaged eyes are caused by impacts with cars and hitting house windows.
Our secondary goal is education of the public. When we have unreleasable birds we are faced with a difficult choice. Not all birds possess the demeanor required to be an education bird. We never want to keep an animal that is stressed by human contact or their new captive living situations. However, some birds seem almost at home being trained and living in close contact with humans. When we have an unreleasable bird that tolerates human contact well, we train it and use it to help with education programs.
Below is an up to date list of all the resident education birds and why they are with us.
Homer
Homer is a Great Grey Owl who was found in 2007 in Kalispell.
He has a wing injury that prevents him from being released back into the wild, and he is a star at our educational programs.
Most of his volume is just feathers! He barely weighs 2 pounds.
Spencer
Spencer is a Barred Owl who has been in our care for many years.
He was found by Tribal biologists out of Charlo MT. under a high voltage tower with both wing tips burnt off. He was originally kept because of an irreparable wing injury and now also has a cataract in his left eye.
At over 18 years of age he is the oldest owl in our care, but he still makes it out for programs occasionally!
Bentley
Bentley is one of our two Great Horned Owls and the one we have had in our care for the longest time. He was found along the highway outside Eureka, MT. He had a broken wing that had healed incorrectly and the wing could not be broken again to repair it correctly.
Arthur
Arthur is a Ferruginous Hawk who was brought to us from a reservation in Eastern Montana.
Arthur is actually a female, but was named by the family who gave her to us,
and knows her name very well!
Duncan
Duncan is a juvenile Red Tailed Hawk who was picked up in Kalispell.
He has a wing injury that prevents him from being released.
Lexi
Lexi is a female American Kestrel.
She was found in Kalispell with an irreparable wing injury.
Luther
Luther is a male American Kestrel.
He was found a long side the road by a CSKT biologist out of Pablo
August 6, 2014. He has a broken left wing that prevents him from being able to survive in the wiild.
Olive
Olive is a Saw Whet Owl.
She came to our facility on April 23, 2016 after being found just sitting on someone's deck.
She is missing her right wing tip at the wrist.
Newton
Newton is an adult Northern Pygmy Owl who was found on HWY 2 near Marion, standing in the middle of the highway suffering from a wing injury.
His small stature makes him a huge favorite at educations programs!
Duke
Duke is Peregrine Falcon who was transferred to us by Liberty Wildlife Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. He arrived there on 12/4/12 from the north Scottsdale area with a fractured left metacarpals from an impact with a building window.
A local vet attempted to surgically repair the wing, unfortunately the surgery was unsuccessful due to a compromised blood supply from the injury. His wing had to be amputated below the wrist.
He arrived at our center in March of 2014, and is a wonderful addition to our education programs.
Sweeney
Sweeney is a Swainson’s hawk who was also transferred to us by Liberty Wildlife. He arrived at their center on 10/24/12 from Sierra Vista with an old fracture of the left carpus, presumed to be from some type of impact injury.
Surgery was unfortunately not an option due to the location of the fracture. Sweeney arrived at our center with Duke in March of 2014.
Louie
Louie is a Long Eared Owl who was found in June of 2014, out along 4 Mile Drive in Kalispell.
He was missing his right wing tip, his left ear tuft, his tail feathers, and he was almost starved.
With a good supply of food, and vet care for his wing, he recovered nicley, and has become a great education ambassador.
Lacey
Lacey is an Osprey who was found May 1st, 2014 on Hen’s Road in Columbia Heights, MT., in someone's driveway. The lady put a box over her so she would not get away before I could get there.
Her right wing was badly broken and infected, and she was very underweight. After giving her antibiotics and feeding her for two weeks she was stable enough to have surgery to remove the damaged wing.
In order to be allowed to be used for education, a video had to be submitted to the Federal Wildlife Service in Denver to show that she was suitable.
It is very unusual to have a calm Osprey. She has been to several programs already and is making an excellent program bird.
Katniss
Katniss is a Harris Hawk who was born in captivity to a Falconer in Polson.
She ended up with an injured left wing that made her un-suitable for falconery.
She joined us as a juvinille in March of 2015.
Igor
Igor is a Barn Owl who was transfered to us recently from Liberty Wildlife Center in Scottsdale Arizona. He had been found along side the road in August of 2014 with a very badly broken right wing.
He is a very vocal character and should be a favorite at programs!
Spencer JR.
Spencer Jr. is our second Barred Owl here at the center.
He was found in October of 2014 along Hwy 83 outside of Seeley Lake, and brought to us by a Fish, Wildlife, and Parks warden.
He had suffered a fracture of the left carpus, an injury that prevents him from survivng in the wild.
As Spencer Senior is really starting to feel his age, Junior will step in and make a great Education Ambassador for their species.
Harley
Harley is a female Harlan's Redtail Hawk.
On December 8, 2014 she was found by a CSKT Wildlife biologist south of Polson.
She was the victim of a gunshot wound that fractured her right elbow.
Being just a juvenile, her time in the wild was cut short by such a terrible act.
Pixie
Pixie is a Western Screech Owl.
She was found in a ladies chicken coop who lived on Foothill Road, 1 mile past Cayuse Prairie Elementary School, on January 6, 2015.
She had suffered a head injury that left one eye with a detached retina, and the other with a dislocated lens.
Impairing her vision severely, preventing her from hunting succesfully, and keeping her from surviving in the wild.
Tika
Tika is a female Snowy Owl.
On February 7, 2015 a man called in reporting she was in a ditch along Hwy 35 by the power plant outside of Bigfork.
Her right wing had been very badly broken and Dr. Dugger had to amputate the wing tip.
She has revovered very well, but with out flight, will not be releasable back into the wild.
Ella
Ella is a Cooper's hawk.
In October of 2016 she was "found" out along McCaffery Road in Bigfork when a gentleman's dog brought her to him.
She was missing part of her right wing from below the elbow.
Wizard
Wizard is a female Black Merlin Falcon.
On September 15, 2017 she was found as a Juvenile in the Hungry Horse area.
Her right wing tip had been taken off from a gunshot.
Rowdy
Rowdy is a Rough Legged Hawk.
Found on May 12, 2018, as a juvenile, in a ditch after being hit by a car in the Browning area.
The right wing had suffered a fracture.
Victory
Victory is a sub-adult male Bald Eagle.
He was found sitting on a round hay-bale out on Danielson Road in Kila on
July 16, 2017.
X-rays showed a healed fracture in the right elbow.