Perches Galore! PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jennifer Smith   
Tuesday, 14 August 2012 19:43
Have you ever heard the saying “No hoof no horse?” Well, the same principle could be applied to birds of prey. The feet of raptors are incredibly specialized pieces of equipment, and without them, the birds would not survive. Raptors use their feet to catch and kill prey (which is actually what defines them as raptors, as opposed to other carnivorous birds like penguins). They also use their feet to hold large food items so they can tear it apart into bite sized pieces—think of a knife and fork working in concert to help you eat your meal. Apart from those basic functions, some species have adapted even more uses for their feet. Barn Owls have a special “grooming toe” on each foot that is serrated, and helps with the grooming process. Osprey have a talon that can rotate backwards to maximize their chances of holding on to a wriggly fish.

Because a raptor’s feet are so important to their survival, a large portion of taking proper care of captive raptors involves taking care of their feet. One of the most essential elements of raptor care is selecting proper perching. If a bird is kept in an area with improper perching, it may develop “bumblefoot,” an infection of the feet. Bumblefoot is painful, and can result in the death of a bird. To avoid bumblefoot, raptors need to be offered perches of differing sizes, to put pressure on different parts of their feet. Another way to achieve the pressure difference is to provide them with rough, uneven surfaces by wrapping perches with rope, or using naturally uneven materials like bittersweet vines.

Last week, we changed the perches in two of our exhibits. One of the exhibits had old perching that needed to be replaced, and the other exhibit had been empty for some time. We moved one of the Great Horned Owls from her exhibit to the empty one, and we did the perching in her old and her new exhibits.

Here are some photos of the new perches:

New GHOW Enclosure

The new GHOW enclosure with its new perches!

The Great Horned Owl checking out her new home.

The Great Horned Owl checking out her new home.

The old Great Horned Owl enclosure before the new perches were added.

The old Great Horned Owl enclosure before the new perches were added.

The old Great Horned Owl enclosure with its new perches.

The old Great Horned Owl enclosure with its new perches.

Be sure to stop by the Sanctuary to see the new owl exhibit, and to admire the new perches!