Mission

The Raptor Trust is a comprehensive organization dedicated to the fulfillment of three primary missions:

1.      To provide free care and assistance to injured, sick, or orphaned wild birds. The Trust's professional staff supplies the highest quality medical care and maintenance to all avian patients. A fully equipped medical infirmary, including an intensive care wing, exists on site. Services available include diagnostics, X-ray, orthopedic repair and specialized diets. Although begun as a raptor care facility, the Trust now offers assistance to all native wild birds. The goal is always to return all viable individuals to the wild. In the ten year period of 1986 through 1995, over 25,000 wild birds were admitted to the rehabilitation facility—half of which were set free.

2. To educate people about wild birds, especially birds of prey. The Raptor Trust's educational efforts to benefit raptors and all wild birds are actively pursued in several ways. Currently, two full-time teacher/naturalists are employed by the Trust to present programs on the natural history of raptors. These informative, factual presentations are given to schools, scouts, nature organizations and all other interested groups, and are attended by thousands of people, primarily young people, each year. Live birds of prey are often used in these educational offerings.

Another way the Trust educates is through its own written words. Over time, it has published and distributed a great deal of information about wild birds in the form of pamphlets, fact sheets and posters. The publications presently available, all of which are free, are:

Hawk Facts, Owl Facts, Raptor Nest Box Plans, What You Can Do To Help An Injured Or Orphaned Wild Bird, What You Can Do To Help Prevent Injuries To Wild Birds, The Raptor Trust Story, and Wanted Alive: Birds Of Prey poster. Most of these are also viewable on this website.

Each year tens of thousands of people visit The Raptor Trust to view the large collection of native birds of prey in residence. People are allowed, indeed encouraged, to come and see the birds, marvel at them, ask questions about them and learn about them. It is hoped that through the process of learning more about raptors, people will become less apprehensive and more tolerant of them.

3. To provide a humane example for others. For three decades The Raptor Trust has provided its unique services to the wild birds and the people who find them, always trying to be helpful and caring to both. It is the Trust's hope that its long standing presence and humane conduct has provided a worthy example to others.

TRT Philosophy:

The Raptor Trust's philosophy is a belief that all living things are important and if, because of humans and human activities, injuries and injustices befall wild creatures, then humans have a responsibility to help heal the injuries and attempt to correct the injustices. And if, through education and understanding, many of the injuries and injustices can be prevented, so much the better for us all. And by living in this manner, The Raptor Trust tries to provide a humane example for others.

The Raptor Trust today is a large, modern complex, consisting of a medical infirmary, an education building, gift shop, and some 70 exterior cages and aviaries containing over 130,000 cubic feet of space. All the chambers are sturdy, well-maintained structures designed to accommodate recuperating birds that will be released, as well as unreleasable individuals that permanently reside at the facility. Recuperating birds are housed in secluded aviaries and are not accessible to visitors. Resident birds are housed in more open aviaries and are accessible for public viewing. Approximately 100 hawks, eagles and owls, over 20 species, are permanent residents at the Trust

Unreleasable raptors are kept at The Raptor Trust for several reasons including captive breeding, foster parenting and, most important, for use in educational programs. Many unreleasable pairs of hawks and owls kept at the Trust have mated and produced young. The species that have bred include American kestrels, screech owls, barn owls and snowy owls. The snowy owl breeding in 1994 was the first ever for New Jersey and one of the few times this species had bred in captivity anywhere in the United States. When grown and self sufficient, all captive bred young are transported to the proper habitat, at the proper time of year, and released to the wild. Over the years nearly 200 young raptors born at the Trust have been freed.

Other unreleasable individuals, primarily females, are kept for use as foster parents to raise orphaned young raptors. By using foster parents (of the proper species) young hawks and owls can learn correct behaviors, and human imprinting can be avoided. Hundreds of young orphaned raptors of many species have been raised in this manner and successfully released.

The Raptor Trust is open to the public seven days a week, during daylight hours, year round. Visitors are afforded a unique opportunity to view at close range the many hawks, eagles, falcons and owls that reside at the facility. There is no charge to visit, but a modest donation of $2.00 from each adult is encouraged. 

The education building is located at 1452 White Bridge Road, next door to the avian facility. It contains a 40 seat classroom, the Trust's business office, and visitors rest rooms. There is a large parking area adjacent to it which can accommodate school buses and several dozen cars, and is only a short walk from the bird area.

With a full-time staff of six and a volunteer corps of several dozen, The Raptor Trust operates full-time, 365 days a year.

 Details of volunteer schemes, educational programs and information sheets are available on-line.