More than 80 people came to the Olive Free Library on Saturday morning, and it wasn’t to check out books. The intergenerational crowd packed into the community room to see birds of prey up close and learn about their habitats and behaviors.
The standing-room-only audience oohed and ahhed throughout the annual show as Saugerties-based wildlife expert Bill Robinson educated and entertained with the help of a turkey vulture, an American kestrel, a Harris’s hawk, and three types of owls. From the breeze and sound of overhead flight to the sight of a mouse being swallowed whole, attendees got a sense of raptors’ adaptability, strength and speed, as well as their function in the ecosystem.
Raptors, also known as birds of prey or predatory birds, are at risk around the globe because of threats including habitat loss, contaminants, poaching and climate change. Their presence in the sky can signal the health of ecosystems that sustain all life, including humans. Raptors serve as early warning systems for environmental damage, help regulate prey populations and contribute directly to disease prevention.
“There are over 10,000 kinds of birds, so there are over 10,000 kinds of beaks,” Robinson said, with a Harris’s hawk perched on his hand.
He explained how the birds’ physical designs, from beaks to feet and plumage, are largely rooted in adaptability, with evolutions that unfold over centuries to suit specific environments.
He demonstrated how toes are used for catching prey, while certain beaks are designed for cutting through meat and small bones.
“Woodpeckers and hawks have very different needs and beaks,” he said.
While holding a vulture that, according to Robinson, perceived him as its girlfriend, the former Saugerties Junior High School, Ulster County Community College, and SUNY New Paltz teacher explained imprinting, an irreversible form of learning that happens soon after hatching, when young birds identify the first moving object they see as their parent.
With a wingspan and breeze that elicited gasps from the crowd, the turkey vulture helped Robinson explain the distinction between scavengers and predators, and the importance of education and conservation.
Now illegal, he pointed to a time when predators were perceived as “the big bad wolf” and bounty funds were issued to hunters, adding that birds of prey can themselves be trained for falconry, a global form of animal-assisted hunting for more than 4,000 years.
A founder and past president of the New York State Falconry Association, Robinson spoke about peregrine falcons that can be observed at the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge. He said they can fold themselves up “like a bullet” and dive at more than 200 miles per hour to capture birds in the open air.
A Saugerties native, Robinson said he had observed changes in local bird life over time, and not just the molting process in which birds grow a new set of feathers each year.
“When I was a kid, there were no Black vultures or Carolina wrens here. And ravens were only in the Adirondacks. It’s part of normal fluctuation, though, they exploit food and move when they can find things in different areas over time,” he said.
More than one bird went to the bathroom while on display.
“It may look like vanilla ice cream,” Robinson said. “It actually kills the bacteria on its legs and feet.”
Asher Lay, 6, of Shokan, was full of giggles and smiles throughout the presentation.
“I’ve never seen a bird close-up before,” he said.
Matteo Wyllyamz, 58, of Boiceville, said it was his 18-year-old daughter, an animal enthusiast with a pet snake, who brought him.
“I’m glad she encouraged me so strongly,” he said.
Arlene Davis, 79, of Olive, came after seeing a different bird presentation at one of her senior groups. “I wanted to see the difference and thought it would be a great outing for my grandchildren too.”
Her grandson Jonathan, 7, was happy to join her. “My favorite was the owl whose head popped off,” he chuckled.
The crowd waited in silent anticipation when Robinson brought out a great horned owl and said he had a fun trick. Laughter filled the room as the large owl split in two. The bird had been mounted in the 1940s by Heinz Meng, an ornithologist, falconer and professor of biology at SUNY New Paltz who served as Robinson’s primary mentor.
“As a teacher, I always want to make learning exciting, interesting, and enjoyable. Being funny helps. If you get someone interested, they can go on to learn more about it on their own,” Robinson said.
Chana Widawski is a contributing reporter. Send correspondence to reporting@theoverlooknews.com