Spike

Spike is an Eastern Screech Owl estimated to be about 5 years old. He sustained brain damage after being trapped in a boxcar on a train. Likely the high temperatures along with lack of nourishment and hydration contributed to this. Spike now lacks his “wild awareness,” and would not be able to catch his own food or evade a predator. 

George

George is also an Eastern Screech Owl, and Spike’s roommate. He’s been with us for 13 years after his nest tree was mistakenly cut down. George unfortunately was poked in the eye from the tree, affecting his pupil and his ability to catch prey on his own.

Helios

Turkey Vulture
Found: 2015, Lincoln, NE
Helios had a badly broken wing that did not heal properly, which resulted in partial amputation. This injury would make it difficult to sustain flight over open country, woodlands, and farmlands in search of carrion, as Turkey Vultures normally do. Because these birds are often seen soaring through the air, Helios is named for the personification of the sun in Greek mythology, a titan who drove the chariot of the sun across the sky each day.

Mesa

Ferruginous Hawk
Found: 2015, McCook, NE
Mesa was brought to a rehab facility on Christmas Eve with her wing badly broken. After receiving treatment from a veterinarian, the bone was pinned. Despite this, part of her wing had to be amputated, leaving her unable to hunt. Today, as an ambassador in the Raptor Woodland Refuge, she helps to educate guests about raptor conservation.

Freedom

Bald Eagle
Found: 2018, Clarks, NE
Freedom was found emaciated on the ground with a shoulder injury, northeast of Grand Island. After testing, it was clear he had low levels of lead poisoning. After treatment, he is now lead-free but can no longer fully extend his wing.

Freedom and Fisher lived side-by-side while recovering from their injuries. After six months apart, they were reunited and recognized each other immediately. Fisher and Freedom were found as adults, so we are not certain of their ages. However, we anticipate the two eagles to be roommates for decades.

Fisher

Bald Eagle
Found: 2018, Omaha, NE

Fisher was found in the Omaha Metro area in 2018, unable to fly. He suffered an illegal gunshot to the tip of his wing, which had to be amputated. He spent six months in recovery to regain his strength before moving to the Raptor Woodland Refuge.

Freedom and Fisher lived side-by-side while recovering from their injuries. After six months apart, they were reunited and recognized each other immediately. Fisher and Freedom were found as adults, so we are not certain of their ages. However, we anticipate the two eagles to be roommates for decades.

Ozzie

Osprey
Found: 2014, Gulf Coast Wildlife Center
Ozzie suffered a gunshot wound with a bad fracture to his left wrist and finger bones. Ultimately, this injury led to a partial wing amputation.

Known for being a goof, Ozzie hops everywhere he goes, often with a flap of his wings. Despite being a “water hawk,” he’s rarely used his outdoor pool.

Freyja

Gyrfalcon
Hatched: 2018, Battle Creek, IA
Freyja was hatched in captivity by a raptor breeder in Battle Creek, IA. She never developed her wild skills and cannot be released.

She is a chatty and curious falcon, and while high-strung, she can sometimes be found “loafing” on her feeding perch.

Aero

Peregrine Falcon
Arrived: 2009, Fort Collins, CO
Aero came from a refuge in Colorado as a fledgling. Due to her shoulder injury, she’s been deemed non-releasable.

Aero is a bit of a diva. She’s very vocal on the glove and will often spend her afternoons in the summertime loafing on the ground in front of her door.

Seneca

Prairie Falcon
Found: 2018, Scottsbluff, NE
Seneca was found in a yard, unable to fly, emaciated, and missing his entire wingtip. He has a “boxer’s eye” fracture, meaning the orbit of his right eye looks caved in. We don’t know how much vision he has in that eye, but we know he moved around his enclosure with little to no issues.

Originally slated to be an education bird, Seneca’s high-strung temperament makes him better suited as a display bird. His common “siren” call is a food/warning call, but he’s also been known to show courtship behaviors to some of his caretakers.

River Pal

American Kestrel
Found: 2016, Colfax County, NE
River Pal had a left elbow fracture. It was also found she had a previous break in her right wing that had healed incorrectly in the wild.

A flighty little bird, River Pal likes her space and will climb the walls of her mew to get it. She often keeps an eye on the sky for predator birds like Cooper’s hawks.

Rusty

Red-Tailed Hawk
Arrived: 2003, Revenna, NE
In 2003 at just two years old, she was found emaciated and missing the tip of her wing, the victim of a gunshot wound. She was an education bird for over a decade but now is enjoying her retirement.

Rusty is talkative to the wildlife in the forest. She shows interest in visitors by fluffing up and tucking in a foot. She also extends a leg to get comfy (the bird-version of leaning against a wall or doorway).

Spike

Eastern Screech-Owl
Found: 2023, arrived 2024
Spike was found trapped in a boxcar, starving and with an eye injury. We suspect brain damage stemming from starvation or extreme temperatures in the train car give him his calm demeanor.

George

Eastern Screech-Owl
Found: 2013, Louisville, NE
George and his siblings fell out of the nest when their tree was cut down. George was poked in the eye by a branch on the way down. While his siblings were able to be released, George is unable to see properly, rendering him non-releasable.

Taavi

Barred Owl
Found: 2015, Council Bluffs, IA
Prior to being rescued, Taavi suffered a fracture of the wrist that rendered him unable to hunt and sustain himself. He is identical to his mew-mate TJ except that Taavi does not have a band on his foot.

TJ

Barred Owl
Found: 2015, Fairbury, NE
TJ was injured on a bridge after a nasty vehicle collision. He had a badly broken wing. He is identical to his mew-mate Taavi except that TJ has a pink band on his foot.

Baron

Barn Owl
Hatched: 2021, West Virginia
Baron was hatched in captivity and arrived at Fontenelle Forest that same month as an owlet. He’s actually a Eurasian barn owl, though the differences are minimal.

Baron, although an education bird, loves his privacy. He’ll spend his days perched on top of his doors, usually out of the public eye. He’s unique in that he does not swallow his food whole, leaving him with very bad breath.

Jamaica

Red-tailed Hawk
Arrived: 2015
Jamaica came to us with a right shoulder injury preventing full flight capabilities.

Sundance

Turkey Vulture
Arrived: 2003, Pioneers Park in Lincoln, NE
Sundance was found as a chick alone in an abandoned building beneath the floorboards. He was fostered with adult turkey vultures and released but kept returning to his release site begging for food from people. He never developed his sense of “wildness.” He was named for the way vultures sway in the sunshine.

Claus

American Kestrel
Arrived: August 2024
Claus (pronounced claws) was found as a first-year bird trapped inside a chimney in 2011. An infection resulted in the amputation of her hallux talon. During her rehabilitation at The Raptor Center in Minnesota, she imprinted, forcing them to declare her non-releasable. Claus was released into a falconer’s care. Former handler Linda Dennis cared for Claus until her death in 2024. Claus now resides at Fontenelle Forest, where she refuses all food except mice. She was named after Santa Claus!

Cinnamon

Great-Horned Owl
Found: 2013, Beaver Lake, NE
Cinnamon was found starving as a young owl. We suspect her docile demeanor is a result of a congenital defect in her brain. She prefers not to fly and can occasionally be spotted running laps on the ground in her enclosure. She failed to develop a sense of “wildness,” thus her being deemed as non-releasable.

Cinnamon will hiss and clack her beak if a caretaker gets too close but doesn’t flee like her mew-mate Minerva. She gives little to no acknowledgement to Minerva, which works best for their relationship.

Minerva

Great-Horned Owl
Found: 2009, Chappell, NE
Minerva came to us as an adult bird with both wings broken and some head trauma after apparently being hit by a car. She healed, but can no longer fly silently, a trait essential to a wild owl’s hunting success.

Minerva likes her space and will occasionally cling to the ceiling of her enclosure. She gets along well with her mew-mate Cinnamon by ignoring her altogether.

Orion

Great-horned Owl
Arrived: 2010, Trumbull, NE
Named for the constellation of the Great Hunter, Orion came in as a yearling after suffering a gunshot. Both wings were broken, and he was starving. His wings never healed correctly, leaving him unable to fly.

Taiga

Merlin
Arrived: 2016
Taiga came to us with a broken right leg and wing after being hit by a car.

Savanna

Swainson’s Hawk
Arrived: 2005, Keene, NE
Savanna is named after the biome with both grasslands and trees. This is often where Swainson’s Hawks are found nesting. Savanna was a nestling found in Keene, NE, found after falling a great height from his nest. He sustained a shoulder injury that resulted in his being unable to open his wing.

Dakini

Swainson’s Hawk
Found: 2015, Trumble, NE
Dakini arrived in a state of starvation due to an old wing fracture that left him unable to fly. This docile bird likes being up high, and while this isn’t an option in his spring, summer, and early fall housing, Dakini spends the winter perched as high as possible in his heated enclosure.

Echo

Broad-winged Hawk
Arrived: 2025, Bellevue, NE
Echo hatched the summer of 2024 but was found just months later after striking a window in Bellevue. Echo sustained damage to his right wing as well as some minor head trauma. Echo is a cautious bird with a lot to say with his frequent “cheeps.” He shares his enclosure with Dakini, a Swainson’s hawk. The two get along by mostly ignoring each other.

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