Georgia Raptor Conservation & Education Programs, LLC

🎂 Happy 2nd Hatch Day to our girl, Harmony!

Look at this baby face! 😍 Hard to believe this fluffy little nugget grew into the stunning Red-tailed Hawk she is today. **Drop in Wild Birds Unlimited tomorrow May 2nd, anytime 12-2pm to meet her.**

Harmony is an educational ambassador, which means she’ll never soar free in the wild. Not because of anything that happened to her in nature, but because a human made the decision to keep her illegally for the first three weeks of her life.

Vonda at Laurens Wildlife Rescue did everything she could to give Harmony a chance at a wild life, she is imprinted on humans and cannot survive on her own. THIS is exactly why I get so passionate when people illegally possess wildlife. It seems harmless. It never is.

These animals deserve wild lives. When we take that from them, even with the best intentions, it’s often gone forever.

So happy birthday, sweet Harmony. You didn’t get the life you were born for, but you are so deeply loved and every person you meet at our programs leaves a little more committed to protecting the “wild things”.

All photos by Vonda of Lauren’s Wildlife Rescue

Baby season is in full swing! PLEASE hold off on tree work unless it’s an emergency. We've had a few overnight guests in the last week or so. One case arrived because their nest tree was cut down. Always ask your tree company to check for nests first, too.

A huge thank you to Chattahoochee Nature Center Wildlife Rehabilitation and Bells Ferry Veterinary Hospital for taking these cases, to the homeowners and to everyone who helped coordinate transport. Luckily, all babies have been returned home/to parents with new surrogate nests.

Found a raptor on the ground? Not every grounded bird needs rescuing! Young raptors go through a natural fledgling phase where they leave the nest but are still being fed and cared for by their parents on the ground and some are often capable of climbing back up even before they can fly.

Do call for help if you see:
-Flies or fly eggs on the bird
-Visible injuries
-A bird still covered in down that clearly isn’t ready to have left the nest

When in doubt, reach out to professionals anyway as it’s always better to consult early so you’re already connected if help is needed.

For help finding a licensed Rehabber nearest you, please consult the following.

Animal Help Now
Georgia Wildlife Network

⚠️ A reminder: It is illegal to possess protected migratory birds without the proper state and federal permits. They may look cute and you might be tempted to take one home but trust us, that is the worst decision you can make for that bird. Harmony, our illegally imprinted Red-tailed Hawk is a perfect example. More on this later. 😖

A huge THANK YOU to Twin Branch Nursery and Landscape for having us at their event today and to their amazing customers who came out to pick the perfect Christmas trees, shop the wonderful local vendors who were decked out for the “Frasier Firs & Festive Finds” event and were able to make a meaningful, memorable connections to the world of raptors!

Twin Branch Nursery’s hours of operation are:
Monday–Saturday: 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (closed on Sundays). TwinBranch.com

Be sure to stop by to grab your Christmas tree and/or wreath, stroll the beautiful property, snap some festive family photos, and start planning your next yard and garden projects!

Happy holidays, and thank you again for making today so special! 🎄✨🦉