Rocky Mountain Raptor Program-RMRP

06/03/2026

Visit with a Raptor at the Blue Moose Art Gallery this Sunday.

Don't miss this 1-day promotional pricing from professional artists! It's a big hit every year. Sunday might be a warm day, so come early to beat the heat! Over 15 artists are participating. Also, you might catch a special visitor from Mountain Raptor Program-RMRP 🦉🦅

❗️Will we see you Sunday? Give us a 🙋🏼‍♀️ below if you're coming ❗️

06/03/2026

Eagles, Owls, Hawks - oh my! The virtual Birds of Prey Class starts THIS WEEKEND! 🎉

Registration for the first day of classes ends this Friday at 10 pm, so don’t miss your chance to join us for this one-of-a-kind experience. This expert-taught class is a great way to hone your raptor ID skills, learn about natural history and mating behaviors, and hear real-world perspectives from our educators.

🦅 Module 1: Eagles, Vultures, & Osprey | June 6, 10 am – 1 pm
🦅 Module 2: Buteos | June 6, 2 – 5 pm
🦉 Module 3: Owls (Part 1) | June 13, 10 am – 1 pm
🦉 Module 4: Owls (Part 2) | June 13, 2 – 5 pm
🪶 Module 5: Falcons | June 20, 10 am – 1 pm
🪶 Module 6: Accipiters, Harriers, & Kites | June 20, 2 – 5 pm

Registration for each module closes at 10 pm the night before the class. Register for one module or all 6 at https://onecau.se/_gx2xu1. No prior experience or education needed!

06/02/2026

Raptor species have between 3,000 and 8,000 individual feathers on their bodies and those feathers are incredible tools built for survival. From the silent flight feathers of owls to the sleek, aerodynamic wings of hawks and falcons, every feather serves a purpose. Feathers provide insulation, waterproofing, camouflage, and the lift needed for flight. Raptors spend hours preening each day to keep their feathers aligned and in top condition because even a small damaged feather can affect their ability to hunt and fly.

06/01/2026

06/01/2026

This is it! 📸 T-Minus 18 hours to submit photos for our Calendar Photo Contest!

Submissions close at midnight TONIGHT (6/1) for our 2027 Photo Calendar. Support raptors through your art by submitting your photos to this annual fundraiser.

AI imagery and photos of nests will not be considered. Submit your photos today: rmrp.org/CalendarSubmit

05/30/2026

Flint wants to know: Are you signed up for our Virtual Birds of Prey Class yet? 🦅

We’re one week away from the first set of classes! Join us this June 6, 13, and 20 to learn identification skills, natural history, and all things raptor. This expert-taught course is great for everyone – from new birders to wildlife educators and lifelong learners. Each module focuses on a different group of raptors, giving you a comprehensive learning experience about all things birds of prey.

You can register for one module, one day, or the whole class series at https://onecau.se/_gx2xu1. No prior experience or education needed!


Video description: Educational Ambassador Flint (American Kestrel) vocalizing while sitting on a handler's glove. Text reads "Flint wants to know: Have YOU signed up for the Virtual Birds of Prey Class yet? Sign up on our website! Classes take place the first 3 Saturdays in June."

05/30/2026

This is the 🚨 FINAL WEEKEND 🚨 to submit your photos! Have your photos displayed in homes and offices throughout our community and support raptors through our annual Calendar Photo Contest!

Our calendar shows the beauty and majesty of raptors from across the world, and supports our work caring for and protecting these incredible creatures and the places they call home. Submissions close at midnight THIS MONDAY, June 1. Submit your photos today: rmrp.org/CalendarSubmit

AI imagery and photos of nests will not be considered.

05/28/2026

When Gardens Become Traps

This adult Eastern Screech Owl was admitted to our facility in early May after becoming entangled in garden netting. Although the owl was able to partially free itself, netting remained tightly wrapped around the right wing, restricting blood flow and damaging the delicate wing tissue known as the patagium. Unable to fly or hunt, the owl was emaciated.

After carefully removing the remaining netting, our team cleaned and treated the wounds and started the owl on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory pain medications. Once stabilized and hydrated, the owl also enjoyed a much-needed mouse meal.

Over the following two weeks, our team performed daily wound care and bandage changes while the tissues healed. Although there is some residual scarring to a critical flight tendon that helps support wing extension, we are optimistic this diminutive, but feisty, owl will make a full recovery.

As you prepare your garden for the summer, you can help prevent wildlife entanglements in your own backyard by:
🏡 Using wildlife-safe alternatives such as rigid fencing or hardware cloth
🌿 Keeping garden netting taut and secured close to plants
🌳 Removing netting when it is not actively in use, or after the growing season ends
🦉 Inspecting netting daily for trapped wildlife

Support this patient's care at rmrp.org/donate


📸: 1. The patient in our Critical Care unit. 2. The patient on a perch in one of our Recovery Enclosures.

05/28/2026

Haystack Owls?

Who needs a barn to nest in when a perfectly covered and sturdy haystack is nearby. This is actually a pretty common occurrence in our area with all of the agricultural activity along the Front Range of Colorado and nearby eastern plains. A carefully constructed haystack with well placed rows on the top to allow moisture and heat to vent away when covered with a tarp, provides a perfect home for a female Barn owl to brood her eggs/chicks. This setup also allows the male to a have bountiful hunting area to provide plenty of prey for his mate and progeny.

However, there is a downside to this nesting strategy.

When farmers and ranchers need to access this hay or straw these nests are unknowingly destroyed. This type of situation unfolded last week in southeast Fort Collins and it left two nestling Barn owls without a home. Fortunately, a former RMRP volunteer saw the youngsters on the ground and gave our Rehabilitation team a call. Through photos we were able to assess the age of the owls, their general attitude and if there was the potential for installing a nest box at the location in order to keep the kids with the adults. We ultimately decided to bring them to our facility. An exam showed the kids to be in normal condition for their age. They are loud, feisty, eating well and doing what Barn owl kids need to do. They will soon move out to an enclosure with our non-releasable foster Barn owl who has served as a fantastic role model for many other previous orphans. There they will get plenty of nutritious food, grow strong bones, feathers and develop flight skills before proceeding to our flight complex.

Since Barn owls are cavity nesters, they take advantage of various types of natural and manmade locations to nest. They will use rotted cavities in trees, eroded out cavities in ditch banks, haystacks, various types of barns/warehouses, empty grain bins, under bridges and any other cozy recess near a quality food source. MT
https://www.rmrp.org/donate/

05/28/2026

We won’t rush through teaching you about this speedster! 🪶 Learn about the fastest animal in the world during our virtual Birds of Prey Class!

Join us Saturday, June 20 to learn about Falcons and Accipiters, Harriers, & Kites in the last 2 modules of our expert-taught classes. Everyone is invited to learn raptor identification skills, natural history, and more – from beginner birder to wildlife experts!

Start the day with Falcons from 10 am – 1 pm, and continue learning with Accipiters, Harriers, and Kites in the afternoon from 2 – 5 pm. Registration for one class or the whole day is available at https://onecau.se/_gx2xu1. Want more? You can register for the whole class series to learn about Eagles, Vultures, Owls, and more on June 6 and June 13.