The Wildlife Center of Virginia, a leading teaching and research hospital for wildlife, is enlisting the help of K-12 students in coming up with a name for a Peregrine Falcon – a non-releasable bird that will soon be traveling the state as one of the Center’s environmental ambassadors.
This Peregrine Falcon — likely a male, due to its size — was found injured in Chesapeake, Virginia in February 2010. Wildlife Center veterinarians diagnosed fractures of the falcon’s major and minor metacarpals in the right wing – essentially, the equivalent of the “hand” bones in humans. Due to the severity of the injury, the falcon is unable to fly well enough to be released.
Over the past eight months, the Center’s veterinary and outreach teams have been evaluating the bird for its suitability as an education ambassador – a bird that would accompany Center staff on trips to schools, county fairs, and other public events – and they have determined that this peregrine should become one of the Center’s environmental ambassadors. As an ambassador, the peregrine will be given a name – and the Wildlife Center is looking for suggestions!
All primary and secondary schools are welcome to participate – whether in Virginia or beyond! Simply fill out this form with your class’s name suggestion by April 30, 2012.
Once the Wildlife Center has received all of the nominations, the group of individuals who have supported care of this Peregrine Falcon through our Caring for Critters program will be asked to help us narrow down the list before putting the top names to a public vote. The school with the winning name will receive a one-year Caring for Critters sponsorship of the Peregrine Falcon! The newly named falcon will join about two dozen hawks, owls, eagles, falcons, turtles and snakes that are part of the Center’s corps of education animals [permanent residents that, because of injuries or behavioral modifications, cannot be released back to the wild]. Other current members of this team of ambassadors are Ruby [a Red-tailed Hawk]; Junior [a Golden Eagle]; Edie [an American Kestrel]; and Wilson [an Eastern Box Turtle]. Additional information about these and other education animals can be found here.
Every year, about 2,500 animals – ranging from Bald Eagles to opossums to turtles – are brought to the Wildlife Center for care. Since its founding in 1982, the nonprofit Center has cared for almost 60,000 wild animals, representing 200 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. In 2011, the Center launched Critter Cam, which provides a live web-based broadcast of Center patients. Animals featured on Critter Cam have included Bald Eagles; Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, and Broad-winged Hawks; a Great Horned Owl; and currently, a Peregrine Falcon.