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The Raptor Trust

@theraptortrust

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The Raptor Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Millington, New Jersey, dedicated to the care and rehabilitation of wild birds.
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The 2026 Walk for Hawks Personal Migration Challenge has officially come to an end, and we’re excited to share this year’s results and celebrate our winners! 🎉 We had a remarkable year! Together, our Migration Crew made an incredible impact: 185 participants from 11 states 3,102 total miles logged 32,867 feet of total elevation gain $14,591 raised — exceeding our fundraising goal! Every mile, every step, and every dollar helped support The Raptor Trust and the injured and orphaned wild birds in our care. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who participated, raised funds, logged miles, and helped keep the migration moving! 🏆 Congratulations to our 2026 Walk for Hawks Winners! Most Miles on Foot 🥇 Dana Pike — Women’s 🥇 Robert Wilson — Men’s 🥇 Cameron Stewart — Non-Binary 🥇 Lily N. — Youth Most Miles on Wheels 🥇 Larissa Smith — Women’s There were no entries in the other categories. Most Overall Elevation Gain 🥇 Robert Wilson Top Peer-to-Peer Fundraiser 🥇 Jenna Oak Honorable Mention 👏 Elizabeth Hebert — for incorporating jump rope into her personal migration! Thank you to all for keeping the migration moving and for helping us care for avian wildlife! #TheRaptorTrust #wildliferehabilitation #WalkforHawks2026 by @theraptortrust
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a day ago
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🎃Are you looking for a fun, educational, and unique way to spend a Saturday this October? 🦉Join us on Saturday, October 24th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to celebrate Owl-O-Ween at The Raptor Trust! With games, crafts, birds, and learning, there is something for everyone. Whether your favorite part is making your own bird at our craft station or meeting the permanent residents that call The Raptor Trust home, you're sure to leave with a new appreciation of the birds that live alongside us. Registration is required, but the event is free! This event is best suited for families with children ages 4 to 12. 👉To learn more and to register visit: https://www.theraptortrust.org/events/owl-o-ween by @theraptortrust
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2 days ago
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We're excited to announce this year's Len & Diane Soucy Memorial Lecture speaker! Doug Tallamy is a New York Times bestselling author, professor, researcher, and one of today’s leading voices on creating habitat for wildlife right where we live. For more than 45 years, Mr. Tallamy has studied the relationships between plants and insects and how those connections help shape healthy, diverse wildlife communities. His message is both practical and inspiring: everyone can be a conservationist. Through his research, books, and Homegrown National Park initiative, Mr. Tallamy encourages people to rethink the spaces around them; from planting native flowers, shrubs, and trees to creating backyard habitats where insects, birds, and other wildlife can thrive. Doug Tallamy is the author of Bringing Nature Home, The Living Landscape, Nature’s Best Hope, The Nature of Oaks, and his newest book, How Can I Help. Join us on Sunday, November 15, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., for an engaging and inspiring afternoon that may just change the way you look at your own backyard and your front lawn! 👉Tickets are going quickly and seating is limited. For tickets and full event information, visit: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/memoriallecture2026/event/memoriallecture2026/ Please note this event takes place at the Lord Stirling Environmental Education Center, just down the road from The Raptor Trust. #TheRaptorTrust #LenandDianeSoucyMemorialLecture by @theraptortrust
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9 days ago
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#Wingsday From Nestling to Migrant! Meet Admit 25-1246, or “Small,” as this Red-tailed Hawk was known here at The Raptor Trust. Small’s journey back to the wild began in May 2025, when it arrived as a nestling after falling from its nest in Sayreville. The tree it had been nesting in had been cut down, leaving the young hawk on the ground and in need of help. An initial exam revealed significant head injuries, including swelling around both eyes and across its head. Small was also twitchy and had a noticeable head shake. Lab results later showed infections with coccidia and roundworms, adding another challenge to its recovery. Small spent a long winter at The Raptor Trust and continued rehabilitation well into the summer. It was fostered by another Red-tailed Hawk, giving it the opportunity to develop important behaviors alongside its own species. As it grew stronger, Small moved into a flight cage to condition its wings and build the strength and skills needed for life in the wild. After more than a year in our care, we’re happy to report that Small was released last week—just in time for fall migration! While not all Red-tailed Hawks migrate, many do, particularly younger birds. Some travel hundreds or even thousands of miles, using thermals, updrafts, and favorable winds to help them along the way. For Small, the journey is just beginning. And this is exactly why we Walk For Hawks every fall! Our Personal Migration Challenge celebrates the incredible journeys these birds undertake while raising critical funds to support the medical care and rehabilitation that make stories like Small’s possible. Every bird that arrives at The Raptor Trust has its own story, and every successful release represents weeks, months, or sometimes more than a year of care. Please consider going the extra mile for wild birds! Your donation helps give injured and orphaned wild birds a second chance. To support our Walk For Hawks migration event visit: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/walkforhawks2026/event/walkforhawks2026/ by @theraptortrust
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16 days ago
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#FreedomFriday There is nothing quite like watching a bird head back to where it belongs -or several! As fall migration is now underway in New Jersey, Barn Swallows are beginning their journey south. These small, incredibly agile birds can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles during migration, and this group was ready to take flight. All of these birds arrived at TRT as nestlings who fell from their nests. After receiving specialized diets, regular feedings, and the care they needed to grow and become strong, it was time for these swallows to spread their wings and go. Can you count how many swallows were released in this video? Watch closely! Here's to another successful release and another group of birds going onward and upward with their migration journey. #TheRaptorTrust #BarnSwallows #FallMigration #Wildliferehabilitation by @theraptortrust
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21 days ago
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Join us in The Great Swamp this weekend for a scavenger hunt all across the watershed! Collect clues, answer riddles, and enter to win prizes. Visit any - or all - of the participating organizations to earn raffle tickets, and then join us all on Sunday at NJ Audubon in Bernardsville for a raffle, smores, prizes and fun. Click thru the link below to find out more and to register! by @theraptortrust
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22 days ago
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Mark your calendars - Owl-O-Ween is coming! 🍂🎃🦉 Join us on Saturday, October 24 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm to learn more about raptors, how our wild bird hospital helps them, plus crafts, a scavenger hunt and more! Perfect for families with children ages 4 -12. This a free event, however registration is required. 👉To register visit: https://scheduleaprogramattrt.as.me/schedule/96994cdd/?appointmentTypeIds[]=97514935 #TheRaptorTrust #OwlOWeen #Wildliferehabilitation by @theraptortrust
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24 days ago
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It’s International Hawk Migration Week! Across North America and around the world, hawks and other raptors are on the move, following ancient migration routes in search of food, suitable habitat, and warmer climates. Fall migration is an incredible reminder of just how connected wild birds are to the landscapes they travel through. And soon, TRT bird lovers and hawk watchers will be migrating too. This fall, TRT supporters from across the country will take part in their own Personal Migration Challenge during our 7th Annual Walk for Hawks, taking place from September 26 through October 4. Whether you walk, hike, run, bike, roll, or find your own way to move, every mile helps support our avian rehabilitation efforts during one of the busiest and most challenging times of year. Registration is still open! And if you can't participate, donations are alwayswelcome and help keep our avian rehabilitation team ready for the birds that need us. This year, we’re featuring the Red-tailed Hawk; one of North America’s most familiar hawks and a remarkable traveler. While not all Red-tailed Hawks migrate, those that do may travel hundreds or even thousands of miles, with young birds often venturing farther south than adults. These skilled navigators take advantage of thermals, updrafts, and favorable winds to make their journeys more efficiently. Migration is all about movement, and this fall, you can make a migration of your own. Every journey matters, so consider joining the migration movement. To register or to make a donation: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/walkforhawks2026/event/walkforhawks2026/ by @theraptortrust
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25 days ago
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As the days get shorter and summer ends, we wanted to share a friendly reminder that our visiting hours have changed. The Raptor Trust is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., seven days a week, including holidays. We look forward to welcoming you to our aviary trails this fall! 🍂 #TheRaptorTrust #wildliferehabilitation by @theraptortrust
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a month ago
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We’re excited to reveal this year’s one-of-a-kind Walk for Hawks T-shirt! And if you want one of your own, now is the time to register! Our Walk for Hawks theme this year is the iconic Red-tailed Hawk, familiar to hawk lovers across North America, and easily recognizable here in New Jersey. Our 2026 limited-edition shirt features a special "red-tail" design. During our Walk For Hawks Migration Challenge, you set your own goals for mileage and move any way you want to - on foot or on wheels. Track your mileage (and elevation gain) and submit your stats at the end of the week-long challenge for a chance to win the most mileage covered. Plus all participants will be entered to win daily prizes. Don’t forget - We're hosting a special Kick-Off Open House event on September 26th from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. A member of our Education Department will be onsite to discuss raptors, and this year's featured bird, the Red-tailed Hawk, in particular. The Open House will be followed by a staff-led local hike to help you start tracking your miles! 👉Register by tomorrow, September 9th at 11:59 p.m. to guarantee your t-shirt order. Registration remains open after September 9th, however, t-shirts will be subject to availability. 👉Find out more about the event, register, or donate here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/walkforhawks2026/event/walkforhawks2026/ by @theraptortrust
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a month ago
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There’s still time to join The Raptor Trust’s Seventh Annual Walk For Hawks Personal Migration Challenge taking place from September 26 through October 4, but the deadline to guarantee your exclusive event t-shirt is quickly approaching! Register by next Wednesday, September 9, to guarantee your one-of-a-kind, limited-edition Walk For Hawks t-shirt. Registration will remain open after September 9 however; t-shirts will be subject to availability. Every fall, The Raptor Trust’s medical team cares for some of the year’s most critically injured birds, many harmed during migration. Funds raised through Walk For Hawks directly support the treatment and rehabilitation of these wild birds, giving them a second chance to heal and return to the skies. Don’t wait—register by next Wednesday to guarantee your exclusive Walk For Hawks t-shirt and join us in helping wild birds soar again. 👉To register: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/walkforhawks2026/event/walkforhawks2026/ by @theraptortrust
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a month ago
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#Wingsday Wings in Motion! A few weeks ago, we shared a closer look at the remarkable world of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, their specialized wings, and what it takes for these tiny birds to grow from nestlings into independent fliers. Today, we are sharing one of those success stories. Admit 26-3039 arrived at The Raptor Trust in early August as an orphan after falling from the nest. At just a fraction of an ounce, this young hummingbird had a lot of growing to do before it would be ready to face the world on its own. Over the next several weeks, Admit 26-3039 received specialized care including hand feedings every 30 minutes, proper nutrition needed to support growth, while it developed the strength, flight feathers, and skills necessary for independence. In the video, you can see the Hummingbird practicing those flight skills inside a flight tent. Take note that the video was recorded in slow motion, giving us a chance to see some of the rapid wing movements that are nearly impossible to appreciate at normal speed! We are happy to report that Admit 26-3039 was released last week and is back at home in the wild. One small hummingbird, one big milestone! #TheRaptorTrust #WildlifeRehabilitation #Wingsday #Hummingbirds by @theraptortrust
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a month ago
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