A gourmet menu for Cascades Raptor Center eagles, courtesy of local fishermen
After making an ask on social media to donate fish for the resident eagles, the nonprofit center received hundreds of calls – and fish – in response from the angler community.
The Cascades Raptor Center, nestled in the hills of south Eugene on an 8-acre forested property, is currently home for nearly a dozen eagles. The center takes in all kinds of raptors, but the recent influx of eagles needing care resulted in a much higher demand of meals for the birds – who won’t eat just anything thrown their way. They are the national bird, after all.
Hoping to fill the hungry bellies of the birds, the center took to Facebook and Instagram to ask the community: local fishermen could donate their catch of the day to the center in the spirit of providing the eagles with a fresh, locally sourced diet.
On the afternoon of July 26, the post went live on Facebook. By the morning of the 27th, the center made another post that read: We are full of fish! Thank you! The eagles were feasting after not even a full 25 hours, and the center wasn’t bankrupt as a result.
Julie Collins, deputy director for the center, said they were overwhelmed with how many people reached out to them. “We had probably 50 phone calls yesterday alone, and I don’t know how many the day before,” Collins said. “When we don’t have enough donations, we end up having to buy fish throughout the year, and this has saved us so much money. It’s truly amazing.”
Callers ranged from sport fishermen to large parties to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to Collins. Trout, salmon, steelhead and Kokanee donations poured in from local anglers, piling up the pink fish for the eager birds.
“The eagles really do have a preference,” Collins said. “They don’t like bottom feeders, and they will just pick at fish they don’t like, essentially refusing to eat it. Especially our resident birds. The avian ambassadors are spoiled a little bit.”
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Six eagles are in the rehabilitation center, preparing to be released into the wild later on, while five (four bald and one golden eagle) live there permanently, known as avian ambassadors. Avian ambassadors are unable to be released for one reason or another, while the rehab birds are treated and rehabilitated until they’re ready for release.
According to the center, one eagle eats about 800 grams a day, almost two pounds worth of fish. Collins said that while they are now full-up on fish for July and likely into August, the center is open year-round, and often in need of community support.
“We are a nonprofit completely supported by the community. It’s really special to see how people reach out and help take care of us and the birds in these moments,” said Collins. “That support and response for the Raptor Center will allow us to continue to be here for generations.”
In the future, anglers interested in donating fish can call the Cascades Raptor Center and ask for a need level prior to donating at 541 485 1320. Not a fisherman, but want to volunteer? Visit https://cascadesraptorcenter.org/volunteering/ for a current list of opportunities.
Skyla Patton is an outdoor reporter and multimedia storyteller. She can be reached at spatton@gannett.com and on Twitter @ganjajournalist.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Cascades Raptor Center eagles feasting thanks to angler donations
