Birds of prey join Santa at Glen Ellyn wildlife facility

Santa will celebrate the holiday season with unusual helpers at Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn.

Handlers will showcase birds of preys in Talons and Claus from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. The annual event attracts about 500 people. Kids also can visit with Santa.

All of the birds are permanently disabled, meaning they cannot return to the wild after recovering from eye or wing injuries. Some suffered gunshot wounds. Others were hit by cars. Most cannot fly.

The free event features a presentation on the individual birds and the natural history of their species.

“These are all local critters,” Education Site Manager Sandy Fejt said. “You don't have to go to a zoo to see that.”

The birds range in age from 1 to more than 20 years old. Tonka, a great horned owl, is a regular at the event with a distinctive personality.

“She's always pretty feisty,” Fejt said. “We still respect her for the power as a hunter.”

Ron Skleney, a naturalist at the center, trains volunteers to handle the birds, including a red-tailed hawk and peregrine falcon. The rigorous process, Skleney said, can last from seven months to more than a year.

“The training is very much one-on-one,” Skleney said.

During the presentation, handlers also will educate the crowds about how direct or indirect human interference led to the birds' injuries. Collisions with vehicles are the most frequent cause of injury to birds who receive treatment at the facility, Skleney said.

“That's a very important conservation message,” Skleney said. “We share natural areas with these animals.”

Besides the amazement the kids show when Santa arrives, Skleney looks forward to their reaction to the creatures.

“They are in awe of the beauty and their ability to see these birds so close,” he said.