HawkQuest's Live Raptors
- Library Lawn - Outside of the Children's Storytime Room
bu·te·o
/ˈbyo͞odēō/
a bird of prey of a group of hawks distinguished by broad rounded wings, relatively short tails, and soaring flight
HawkQuest, a nonprofit environmental organization that educates awareness through birds of prey, has 34 different birds representing 20 different species. On display during the Yampa Valley Crane Festival will be the Buteos of Colorado: Red-tailed, Swainson’s, Ferruginous and Rough-legged hawks, plus an owl, a Bald Eagle, a Peregrine Falcon and a Harris Hawk. This is a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with these amazing birds of prey.
About Hawk Quest
Kin Quitugua, a master falconer and long time environmental educator, founded HawkQuest in 1986. He has trained, handled and flown birds of prey as diverse as the Bald and Golden eagles and the Saw-whet owl. For more than 25 years, Quitugua has dedicated himself to educating the public about the place of raptors in our ecology. Quitugua created HawkQuest believing environmental awareness is a key to the survival of the world as we know it, and education — of our nation's youth in particular — is paramount to this process. He has received national recognition for his work combining educational and ecological concerns, having appeared on both local and national television programs. Quitugua also serves as a consultant to organizations which promote the welfare of birds of prey.
About the Yampa Valley Crane Festival
The Greater Sandhill Crane is an iconic species of the Yampa Valley. Returning in the spring, cranes nest and raise their young in wetland areas throughout the valley. In late summer and early fall, hundreds of cranes from the Rocky Mountain flock join the local birds to rest and feed before continuing their journey south. The festival includes daily crane viewings, expert speakers, films, art exhibits, workshops, family activities and more. All community activities and events are free unless otherwise indicated in the program, and Bud Werner Memorial Library is festival headquarters and the venue for many of these talks, films and events.
Learn more about the Yampa Valley Crane Festival at www.coloradocranes.org.