Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown will offer a rare opportunity to see birds of prey, including the Bald Eagle, up close during its Superheroes of the Sky event on Saturday, March 8.
Attendees will join animal educator Jim MacDougall for an 11 a.m. walking tour that provides an intimate look at these majestic raptors during feeding time.
“What I do is take people around to be up-close and personal with our raptors,” MacDougall said in an interview with South Shore Press. “Some of the raptors I will take out so they can see them up-close and get photos.”
Advanced registration through the website is recommended, with ticket prices ranging from $10 for adults to $5 for children under 12.
“We highly recommend that people sign up early,” MacDougall said, explaining that too many participants might frighten even these mighty birds.
The tour will include the American kestrel, red-tailed hawk, and owls from the screech, barred, great horned, and barn varieties, some of which are not native to Long Island.
MacDougall will explain how these creatures typically survive in the wild, as well as their behavior, physical characteristics, and lifestyles. He will also discuss threats posed by pesticides, such as those that once endangered the American bald eagle.
MacDougall does all the preparation in advance for the bird feeding, which includes 43 mice and rats that he defrosts and disembowels to prevent bacterial contamination. After removing certain organs, MacDougall enhances the meal with a supplement he calls “a kind of Flintstones for raptors.”
According to MacDougall, most of these birds cannot survive in the wild but have found a home at Sweetbriar, a 54-acre, private, nonprofit organization focused on wildlife rehabilitation and education.
“All of the animals that we have on this tour are injured or have some other difficulty, whether it’s a broken wing or a missing eye or there’s one American kestrel that was actually captured by somebody south of the border and smuggled across, and they were going to sell it on the black market,” MacDougall explained.
More than a photo op, this program is designed to increase understanding and respect for wildlife.
“We do it to help people understand all the different things that go on with animals and why we need to protect them,” MacDougall said, referencing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which prohibits the average citizen from owning certain birds—and even their feathers.
Located at 62 Eckernkamp Drive, Sweetbriar Nature Center is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For details on Superheroes and other events, visit the website at https://www.sweetbriarnc.org.