If you have attended a "Talon Talk" live raptor program at the Museum, you probably remember the star of the show. Aldo the American Kestrel is in his prime in front of an audience. He really hams it up as he trills adorably, dramatically preens his tail feathers, or does a little dance on my glove. I once heard a bird trainer refer to American Kestrels as the "gateway raptor" that can lure anyone into loving the birds of prey. After all, how can you resist that face?
Aldo hatched in 2014 in North Carolina where he was found on the ground after falling from his nest cavity as a young bird. Veterinarians at the Carolina Raptor Center found that both of his wings suffered broken bones: the left humerus and right radius. He underwent treatment and the bones healed until he could fly, but not well enough to live on his own in the wild. While in the rehabilitation center, he also became imprinted on his human caregivers.
Imprinting is an important stage in a young bird's life when they learn their own identity from observing their parents. They learn, that's what I look like, that's how I'm supposed to act, that's what I'm supposed to eat, and that's what my future mate will look like. Since Aldo was raised by people, he essentially learned that he is a human. This was the second reason that Aldo was deemed non-releasable and he was placed at the Cable Natural History Museum as an education ambassador.
Aldo arrived at the Museum on August 9, 2014 and began training to become an ambassador. As an imprint, he loves being around people - once he gets to know you. He has been known to chase certain staff out of his mew, but warms up to them once they've spent more time together. As long as there isn't a shovel or a dog around, he is in his element in front of an audience and loves to show off for Museum visitors. He even does amazingly well at busy off-site programs, remaining calm while hundreds of people meander around an expo or a group of preschoolers wiggle and chatter during a library program. Aldo is (almost) always cooperative in doing everything we ask him to do here at the Museum and he has become the backbone of our live raptor education team.
Comentarios