Our ambassadors
Enjoy their flight during aur presentation of birds of prey at Chouette à voir! or invite them to your school, institution or other events as part of our educational program.
Peregrine Falcon
Ulysse
Date of admission: June 2011
Year of birth: 2011
Origin: Toronto
Sex: male
Ulysse was born in captivity in a raising facility for Peregrine Falcons in Ontario. He was intended to belong to a falconer, however the person donated him to us. Since Ulysse was born in captivity and had already received a few training sessions in the past, he joined the ambassador team of birds of prey at Chouette à voir!.
Peregrine Falcon
Élios
Date of admission: June 2012
Year of birth: 2012
Origin: Québec
Sex: male
Élios was born in captivity and was imprinted to humans at a very young age. According to certain laws, we are obligated to keep any birds of prey that were born in captivity. Hence why this Peregrine Falcon will remain as a permanent resident of the UQROP team. He has since joined the ambassador team of birds of prey at Chouette à voir!
American Kestrel
Saphir
Date of birth : July 2018
Origin : Saint-Hyacinthe
Sex : Male
Saphir was born from our adoptive American Kestrel parents, who are permanent residents at UQROP. According to certain laws, we are obligated to keep any bird of prey that is born in captivity. Hence why this American Kestrel will remain as a permanent resident of the UQROP team. He has since joined the ambassador team of birds of prey at Chouette à voir!
American kestrel
Piper
Date of admission : July 17th, 2017
Origin : Saint-Hubert
Sex : female
When Piper was still a hatchling, she was found by someone that hand-fed her for a few weeks. This extended contact with human beings at a very young age imprinted her to humans. This means she associates herself to human beings rather than American Kestrels, which is why she must stay in captivity even though she is physically in perfect health. She has since joined the ambassador team of birds of prey at Chouette à voir!
American kestrel
Tarzan
Date of admission : January 2023
Origin : Sainte-Brigitte-d’Iberville
Sex : male
Found as an orphaned downy bird, a lady wanted to help him and took him into her home, caring for him for months. As a result, the bird became impregnated to humans, making it impossible to release it back into the wild. He is now part of the ambassador bird team.
Crécerelle d’Amérique
Louise
Date of admission : July 2023
Origin : Chambly
Sex : female
The bird was found with bracelets and jets on its legs. Examination of its plumage shows it to be a juvenile born in 2022. We suspect it was the victim of poaching. She showed clear signs of human impregnation. This is why she is now part of the ambassador bird team.
American kestrel
Astrid
Date of birth : June 3rd 2021
Origin : Saint-Hyacinthe
Sex : female
Astrid is the younger sister of Saphir. Very much like him, she was born from our adoptive American Kestrel parents, who are permanent residents at UQROP. According to certain laws, we are obligated to keep any birds of prey that were born in captivity. After some training, she is now ready to represent her species during our presentations and at Chouette à voir!
Eastern Screech-Owl
Thor
Date of admission: June 2014
Date of birth: June 2014
Origin: Saint-Jean-Baptiste
Sex: male
Thor was found on the ground in a camping site when he was only a chick. Once he arrived at the Bird of Prey Clinic, we had him examined and noticed that he suffered from cataracts, as well as microphthalmia (eyeball smaller than the average Eastern Screech-Owl). Since Thor is almost blind, his release in the wild is impossible. Therefore, he has joined the ambassador team of birds of prey at Chouette à voir!
Great Horned Owl
Rudy
Date of birth: April 15th, 2016
Origin: Saint-jude
Sex: male
Rudy was born in captivity in the Annemarie Roth aviary complex at Chouette à voir!. He was born from our adoptive Great Horned Owls parents, who have been adopting juvenile wild orphan owls since 1999. After sustaining care from the adoptive parents, the rehabilitated younglings are released in the wild at the end of the summer. This however, could not happen with Rudy. First, because he was born in captivity, it is not possible to release him in nature. His mother took care of the adopted orphans, who were a lot older than him. Needing veterinarian care to prevent him from dying, he was therefore imprinted to humans. He is since a part of the ambassador team of birds of prey at Chouette à voir!
Faucon émerillon
Octave
Date d’admission : Juillet 2023
Année de naissance : 2023
Provenance : Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Sexe : female
This downy bird was found by a family who looked after it for a week before entrusting it to UQROP. Initially, she was put on a cleat so she could be released, but she kept nagging the farmers. Placed in an aviary at the rehabilitation complex with other birds, we wanted her to get used to her species. The bird would constantly scream under the aviary door, indicating that it had been imprinted with our species. Octave is now part of our team of ambassador birds.
Harris Hawk
Axel
Date of admission: July 2016
Date of birth: June 19th, 2016
Origin: Saint-Lazare
Sex: male
A non-native Quebec species, Axel was born in captivity in 2016. His parents lived at the falconery centre Environnement Faucons. The bird is given to UQROP, after being imprinted to humans. Now part of the ambassador team of Chouette à voir!, Axel is a fine representative for his species.
Barred Owl
Caboche
Date of admission: Summer 2002
Year of birth: 2002
Origin: Lennoxville
Sex: male
Discovered in a ditch, this juvenile bird was extremely skinny and in an overall unhealthy state. A birth defect affected the birds’ eyes, rendering him partly blind. This condition hindered the owls’ ability to hunt, as well as to survive in the wild. His chances of survival were slim to none without our help. He is now part of the ambassador team of Chouette à voir!
Broad-winged Hawk
Décibel
Date of admission: mai 2021
Year of birth: 2021
Origin: Saint-Jude
Sex: male
Décibel arrived as an egg at the Bird of Prey Clinic and hatched a few hours later. Needing parental care, this young bird was brought to one of our mature Broad-winged Hawk at Chouette à voir!. Unfortunately, the mature hawk had no interest in taking care of Décibel. We then tried putting it near a Broad-winged Hawk nest in the wild, but the nest was out of reach. Having no other options, we raised Decibel by hand, imprinting the juvenile bird to humans. This bird will stay in captivity and we are currently training it to be part of the ambassador team at Chouette à voir!
Broad-winged Hawk
Gaïa
Date of admission: August 2011
Year of birth: 2011
Origin: Saint-Donat
Sex: female
Back in 2011, a person cut a tree on her property without knowing that a nest of broad-winged hawks had installed themselves there. Once the tree was on the ground, she noticed the chick. The person then took it to her home and raised it by hand for a few weeks. This conditioned the chick and became imprinted to humans which prevented her release in the wild. Ever since, Gaïa is part of the ambassador team of birds of prey at Chouette à voir!
Red-tailed Hawk
Kenya
Date of admission: May 2021
Year of birth: 2011
Sex: female
Kenya was given to us by a falconer. Because she was born in captivity and trained by humans her whole life, she cannot be set free. Since then, she has joined the ambassador team of birds of prey at Chouette à voir!.
Red-tailed Hawk
Kaïla
Date of admission: August 2009
Year of birth: 2005
Origin: Laurentians
Sex: female
This bird was given to the Birds of Prey Clinic by the neighbor of a person who had been taking care of this hawk in his barn for four years. The person realized that it was illegal to keep birds of prey at home, so she did not wish to take care of it anymore. The bird is in excellent physical condition; however, it is clearly imprinted to humans. Its behavior in nature would not be normal, hence why it must stay in captivity. She is now part of the ambassador team of Chouette à voir!
Turkey Vulture
Shaun
Date of admission: June 10th, 2016
Date of birth: June 4th, 2016
Origin: Rigaud
Sex: male
In 2016, a person found an egg that was taken by a raccoon. Since the egg was only partially cracked, she decides to take the egg home and, surprise! It hatches the next day! The hatchling looks a lot like a wild turkey, but the person soon learns it is in fact a turkey vulture, so she takes it to the bird of prey clinic. After examination, the veterinarian realized the bird has an anomaly to its right foot. This condition, plus the fact that Shaun was imprinted to humans, were reasons enough to decide that he could not be released in the wild. Since then, he has joined the ambassador team of birds of prey at Chouette a voir!
Black vulture
Grégory
Date of admission: April 2007
Date of birth: February 22nd, 2004
Origin: England
Sex: male
Grégory was born in a center for birds of prey in England. He was raised by his parents in captivity before being transferred to the zoological garden of Québec, in Charlesbourg. When that institution closed its doors, Grégory was donated to UQROP to be part of the ambassador team. Since then, people enjoy his flight during the summer presentation at Chouette à voir!
Our residents
Observe them in their adapted aviary located in the Owl Trail or the Grandeur Trail at Chouette à voir!. They are now permanent residents due to a disability that prevents them from being autonomous in the wild.
Rough-legged Hawk
Date of admission: December 2014
Year of birth: 2014
Origin: Kangiqsualujjuaq
Sex: female
This bird, kept illegally in a home, was discovered by the wildlife protection agency. The young bird had wounds on her legs and her head, likely due to her flying around in the unsuitable environment of a home. Upon her arrival at the clinic, her behavior was that of one imprinted to humans, a result from living with humans for several months. After receiving the required treatment for her wounds, she joined the team as a permanent resident of Chouette à voir!
Saw-whet Owl
Date of admission: April 24th, 2019
Year of birth: before 2019
Origin: Saint-Constant
Sex: unknown
This little owl was found at the bottom of a window on a balcony. It probably collided with this window, as it was suffering from a head trauma and a neurological deficit (partial paralysis) in her right wing. Since 2019, her condition has not improved and does not allow her to be self-sufficient in the wild. It has the potential to be an adoptive parent of younglings
Barred Owls
Number of individuals per aviary: 2
Year of admission: 2012 and 2022
Sex: female and male
Found in Brossard, the first of these owls suffered from wounds following a collision with a Hydro Quebec wind turbine nacelle. This owl had broken bones in her left wing as well as damage to one of her eyes. Regrettably, once the bird recovered from her wounds, her damaged wing never quite regained her former use, thus she could not be returned to the wild.
The male owl was found on the ground near a window in Otterburn Park in 2022. As many of its feathers were badly damaged, flight was difficult for this owl. Despite rehabilitation, it was unable to fly adequately for its survival and so could not be released back into the wild.
Long-eared Owl
Date of admission: November 2019
Origin: Saint-Mathieu-d’Harricana
Sex: male
This owl was hit by a car which caused multiple fractures all along his right wing. Even after receiving treatments for his injuries, his wing did not fully heal. His flight was not optimal and his chances of survival in the wilderness would have been slim. He was therefore transferred to become a permanent resident of the Owl Trail at Chouette à voir!.
Snowy owl
Date of admission: November 2013
Origin: Montreal
Sex: male
This bird was found at the international Pierre-Elliott Airport in Montreal by falconners. He had flown into a plane, which greatly damaged the left wing, as well as completely destroyed his beak. He was rushed to the Bird of Prey Clinic, where the veterinarian observed an amputated section of the damaged wing due to the accident. We also had to give him special care and attention for the next few months until the healing process for his beak was complete. However, due to his wing handicap, his flight is not optimal. Hence, he is now one of the birds present in the Grandeur Trail at Chouette à voir!.
Short-eared Owl
Number of individuals per aviary: 2
Date of admission: Marc 3rd 2021 and May 2nd 2022
Date of birth: 2019 and 2021
Origin: Saint-Pie and Saint-Nazaire
Sex: female and mal
The female owl was brought to the Bird of Prey Clinic with an open fracture to its left wing. Even after our medical care, the bird was unable to fully move its wing in fluid motions for flight. This forced us to keep her as a permanent resident in an adapted aviary in the Grandeur Trail at Chouette à voir!.
The male was found on the side of the road with a fractured humerus in his right wing and open wounds. The bird was treated and even operated on, but its wing does not allow adequate flight for release.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Date of admission: September 12th, 2017
Year of birth: 2017
Origin: Terrebonne
Sex: male
The young hawk arrived at the clinic with a fractured left wing. The X-rays revealed that the bone had severely shifted. We decided to let the bird rest in an aviary and reevaluate its wing condition a few weeks later. Upon re-examination, our veterinarian noticed that the Red-shouldered Hawk still had trouble flying. Due to this handicap, the bird could not be returned to his environment, and so he joined the permanent residents at Chouette à voir!.
Northern Harrier
Date of admission: July 12th, 2012
Year of birth: 2012
Origin: Chartierville
Sex: female
This bird was found as a youngling in down. Her nest had been destroyed by hay cutting and she was the only survivor. An injury to her right shoulder does not allow her to fly perfectly. She has become a adoptive parent for the young harriers that we will receive in rehabilitation.
Bald Eagle
Date of admission: November 8th, 2021
Year of birth: 2020
Origin: Nicolet
Sex: male
This young bald eagle was first banded in April 2020 in New York State while healthy. In 2021, it was found injured near Nicolet and was admitted to the Birds of Prey Clinic. An old fracture in its left wing prevented it from flying well. The injury healed with a misalignment of the humerus, limiting the movements of the wing. Unable to fly properly, the eagle is kept in captivity as a permanent resident of Chouette à voir!
Red-tailed Hawk
Date of admission: December 13th, 1998
Year of birth: 1998
Origin: Saint-Cuthbert
Sex: female
Found on the ground while eating a prey in the Lanaudière region, she was unable to fly away. She was brought directly to the UQROP. We diagnosed the dislocation of the elbow and a fracture of the metacarpal of the right wing. Since she has been in captivity, we have noticed the whitening of part of her plumage. This phenomenon is called “leucism”.
Grand-duc d’Amérique
Admission date : février 2002
Year of birth : 2001
Origin : Granby
Sex : female
Name : Virgile
People complain that a great horned owl runs along their window and tries to get into their house. They contact UQROP and we take it back. A week later, someone called us and said “Apparently you’ve captured my owl? We pieced together the story. The well-meaning person found him down and decided to look after him. The bird was fed meat (chicken leg, etc.) and the process of impregnation with humans began. One day, the young owl escaped and sought the company of humans. The mental “wound” is irreversible. So we decided to use Virgil as an ambassador bird. After more than 20 years as an ambassador bird, she is now retired in the calm of an aviary at Chouette à voir!
Nyctale de Tengmalm
Admission date : 3 mars 2023
Year of birth : Avant 2021
Origin : Alma
Sex : inconnu
This boreal owl was found at the foot of a window in Alma. No fractures were observed on examination or X-ray. It had probably collided with the window, as it was suffering from head trauma and a neurological deficit (partial paralysis), particularly in the left wing. As a result, the bird’s flight skills are not good enough, which is why it cannot be released back into the wild.
Gyrfalcon
Date of admission: September 2023
Year of birth: 2023
Origin: Alexandria, Ontario
Sex: Male
This Gyrfalcon was given to us by a falconer. Born in captivity and used to being fed by humans, this bird cannot return to the wild and is one of the resident birds of Chouette à voir!
Great Gray Owl
Date of admission: September 15th 2021
Year of birth: 2017
Origin: Hemmingford
Sex: male and female
These birds were born in captivity at the Calgary Zoo. They were offered to Parc Safari, who are currently lending them to us for breeding purposes.
