Raptors - Eagles, Owls, Hawks, Falcons… No other group of birds stirs the imagination, lifts our spirits and symbolizes noble qualities more than these.

Against a backdrop of Colorado's 14,000-foot mountains, these inspiring creatures fly free, hunters on the wind.

We’re Losing Habitat At An Alarming Rate
Habitat loss reduces raptor nest sites, hunting habitat, and winter roost sites. Habitat reduction also increases human-raptor conflicts such as collisions with cars, power lines, and other man-made structures.

Photo courtesy of JB HarrisRaptors Help Maintain The Balance of Nature
While they pose practically no threat to humans, raptors play a vitally important role in the earth’s “web of life” because they prey on small animals such as rodents, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. Those in agriculture appreciate raptors because of the millions of rodents, grasshoppers, and other insects they consume every year. Without raptors’ natural population control, these prey species’ populations could upset the balance of nature.

Raptors Serve As Environmental Barometers
Raptors also serve as environmental barometers, constantly echoing the health of the natural world. Environmental toxins build up in prey animals; these poisons in the food chain become greatly magnified by the time these animals are ingested by the raptors. Healthy raptor populations equal healthy human environments!

Raptor Populations Declined
This “biological magnification” of toxins occurred in the 1970’s, causing drastic reductions in the numbers of several raptor species, most notably, the bald eagle and peregrine falcon. These environmental disruptions provide a call to action to remove these toxins from our environment before they affect the human population.

You Can Help
It is up to us to make a difference for these magnificent creatures. We must never forget that we too are members of a food chain, and environmental factors that affect other species will eventually affect us.