Birds of prey exhibit in KCK features bald eagle and fans of all ages

Frankie may have been the main attraction at Wyandotte County Lake on Saturday, but Lucy wasn’t about to be upstaged.

The red-shouldered hawk preened and chattered nonstop as volunteers from Operation WildLife gave a presentation on live birds of prey at Eagle Days in James P. Davis Hall.

“Her name is Lucy,” said longtime volunteer Gary Crain. “She always has a lot to say.”

The sessions, which attracted dozens throughout the day at the Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Schlagle Library on the west side of the lake and Davis Hall on the east side, included appearances by Frankie the bald eagle and a variety of falcons, hawks and owls, as well as a turkey vulture and a crow. The event continues Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at both locations.

As volunteers provided histories of the raptors and answered a barrage of questions, Frankie took it all in from his perch, cocking his head and on a couple of occasions showing off his 7-foot wing span. He is about 3 years old and won’t get his white crown of feathers until he’s about 5.

Crain said Frankie was named after a man who donated $2,500 to Operation WildLife. The 3-year-old eagle came to Kansas a year ago from Jackson Hole, Wyo., Crain said.

“He was found beside the road,” he said. “They thought he had a pelvic injury, but they determined here that it was a head injury. We’ve been working with him two to three times a week. Some days he is really cooperative and other days he just goes nuts.”

Operation WildLife, a nonprofit based in Linwood, Kan., provides rehabilitation and a temporary haven for injured and orphaned wild animals.

“Our goal is to rehabilitate and release,” said volunteer Roger Rucker as he introduced the 15 raptors on exhibit. “But all of these birds have some kind of permanent injuries. They can’t be released back to the wild, so we keep them here for education.”

Andrew Norris, of Kansas City, Kan., brought daughter Layla, 5, and son Landon, 1, to see the birds. Norris said the interest in birds of prey runs in the family.

“My dad’s a big fan of the eagles,” he said. “He works down by the river and really enjoys seeing them.”

Layla, who has two parakeets at home, said she enjoyed getting to see Frankie.

“But my favorite is the white owl,” she said, referring to a barn owl named Gizmo. “He was really pretty.”

Brennen Piela of Roeland Park said he was a repeat customer.

“I’ve been coming here since I was 5,” said Brennan, now 8, who came with his grandparents. “I think it’s fun to look at the eagles and learn lots of interesting facts about the birds.”

He took a special interest in a screech owl named McGee.

“Why did this one lose his eye?” he asked.

“Because he was hit by a car,” Crain said. “Ninety percent of the reasons an animal comes here are human-related.”

Justus Russell of Kansas City, Kan. said he never tires of coming to see the birds.

“This is my third time,” the 14-year-old said. “I wanted to look at the birds again and hear some good stories. But mostly I just like coming out here.”

This story was originally published January 23, 2016 at 10:50 AM with the headline "Birds of prey exhibit in KCK features bald eagle and fans of all ages."