Raptor Club
It is easy to mistake healthy wildlife for one that may be orphaned or injured.
Join the club
The Raptor Club is open to anyone 18 years or older who is interested in learning about birds of prey and the conservation of these species.
We train club volunteers to feed the club’s resident raptors, maintain the facilities, and to handle raptors for educational presentations.
Raptors and club volunteers visit service organizations, fairs, summer camps, and schools to educate children and adults about raptor conservation and the lives of these birds.
Email us if you are interested in joining.
What is a raptor?
A raptor is defined as a bird of prey that catches live prey for its own survival and raising of its young. These birds have powerful talons; a strong, hooked beak; keen eyesight and hearing; swift flight; and great strength.
Despite federal and state protections, many raptors continue to suffer because of deliberate or incidental human activities. These birds are frequently shot or poisoned, injured by power lines, and struck by vehicles, and their natural habitats are often at risk.
Invite us to your class or group
We offer educational presentations for local classrooms, clubs, organizations, and events. These programs include live demonstrations using our non-releasable educational raptors.
Our hope is to raise awareness about the birds and their special ecological requirements.
Please request your presentation at least two weeks before the event date.
- Booth A popular option for presenting at a fair, festival, or symposium; in a lobby to passing guests; or tabling at an event. For this style of presentation, it is preferred if we can be in a corner position away from any entrances for the safety of our handlers and our birds.
- On-site presentation Our most popular presentation option. Groups come to the Stauber Raptor Facility at WSU to meet our residents. We ask groups to not exceed 40 people in one presentation as our front room can get a bit crowded, but we are more than happy to break up large groups into multiple subsequent presentations.
- Theater If we are coming to your location to present to a seated audience, then it is a theater style presentation. This is great for school groups large or small, book clubs, event talks, or any groups that would like to have our birds presented to them in more detail. Please see our travel details below for how far we are able to travel and associated fees.
Presentations are by donation* and the money goes back to support the club.
Suggested presentation rate: $40 per hour
*Travel reimbursement: When a presenter must travel more than 15 miles away from the WSU campus, payment of $0.55/mile is required. Travel reimbursements go to the club member who drives to the event.
We offer presentations to groups throughout Eastern Washington and in surrounding states.
The club usually does not travel farther than three hours (one-way) from the WSU campus in Pullman, but we do make exceptions.
How far our club will travel depends on the amount of time we would spend educating. We are often willing to travel if the amount of time spent traveling is equal to or less than the amount of time spent presenting our birds. If the presentation is two hours away, we would need to be presenting for at least two hours, ideally more.
Please contact us to discuss your event.
Club presentation raptors
If you find an injured raptor
Finding an injured raptor can be overwhelming. Before attempting anything, it is critical that you make sure the bird is clearly injured. Young birds when learning to fly, get away from their nest and sit on the ground to rest.
If you find an injured raptor or other wildlife, seek help from a local wildlife agent or veterinarian, or call the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital at 509-335-0711 for information on how to tell if the animal is truly injured or orphaned and how best to help.
Questions about how to donate to or make a donation to support raptors? Contact Kay Glaser or 509-335-4835.