With its first beer named for the Red Tailed Hawk, Mendocino Brewing has long been on the side of raptor preservation. And this past weekend, they got to show their support and enjoy checking out these amazing birds when they poured at the UC Davis Raptor Center Fall Open House.
Raptor Center Open House
Mendocino’s flock at the Raptor Center Open House.
Twice a year, the California Raptor Center at UC Davis hosts an open house, where visitors can see raptor demonstrations and check out the birds eye-to-eye. More than 35 birds live at the center full time, and over 300 injured birds are treated and released each year. Most of the raptors who find their way to the center have been injured because of contact with humans, and around 60% are successfully released annually.
The UC Davis event was a great success, with more than 500 people braving the morning rain to visit with some of these majestic birds and taste samples from Mendocino Brewing’s own flock of beers, which included Eye of the Hawk, Red Tail AIe, Black Eye Ale and White Hawk Ale.
1000 Mice a Year
Getting eye to eye with the birds.
Raptors play a vital role in our environment. Keen hunters, they are at the top of the food chain, and they help control the rodent and snake population. In fact, according to the UC Davis Raptor Center facts, a single Red Tailed Hawk can eat as much as 1,000 mice, 100 small birds, 20 gophers, 18 small rabbits, 15 squirrels, 15 shrews, 9 quail, 7 snakes, 4 rats, and 2 weasels in a single year.
This penchant for rats and mice has also put many raptors in danger from poisoning. Raptors Are the Solution (RATS), another raptor-oriented charity supported by Mendocino Brewing, was founded to educate people about how the widespread use of poison is endangering the raptor population, and alternative methods of control.
Support Your Local Raptors
Welcome to the Raptor Center!
Several groups and charities around the U.S. have been created to help preserve and protect our raptor population. If you want to learn more, or see how you can get involved, the Raptor Research Foundation is a great place to start. And as always, a simple Google search will bring up more local organizations that focus on the animals closer to home.
So next time you enjoy a beer in a relatively rat-free environment, take a minute to thank to a raptor. One is probably watching you right now …
