Rescuing Raptors: Stories About Birds of Prey Rescues Nancy McDonald

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.