Oklahoma eagle aviary leads the nation in research By Larry Mattox C
aring for the national bird of the United States is a full-time job, but for Victor Roubidoux and the staff of the Grey Snow Eagle House it is much more than just a job—it’s a calling and passion. “I served in the 101st Airborne Division in
Vietnam called the ‘Screaming Eagles,’ and now I am caring for eagles,” said Roubidoux, Manager of the Grey Snow Eagle House. “I don’t think it is coincidence; I think it was a calling from God.” Roubidoux and a staff of 10 full-time caretak- ers and numerous volunteers operate the Grey Snow Eagle House near Perkins, Okla. The aviary, owned by the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.
After several years of planning, the aviary opened in 2006 through funds provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The aviary is permitted to conduct four programs: rehabilitation, religious use, education and research. Working with a Tulsa veterinarian, Dr. Paul Welch, the aviary provides rehabilitation services to injured eagles.
Photo by Lance Shaw/CREC
The aviary has successfully rehabilitated and released 17 bald and golden eagles back into the wild. However, many of the eagles are never able to be released and will call the Grey Snow Eagle House their home for the rest of their lives. The aviary is currently home to more than 40 injured eagles. A research program is the latest endeavor embarked on by the aviary. A partnership between Oklahoma State University and the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma worked to sequence the golden eagle genome, a species that had not yet been sequenced. “We were able to identify just under 18,000 genes and just under a half-a-million genetic markers for the golden eagle,” said Dr. Ronald Van Den Bussche, Biology and Genomics professor at OSU. “What that means is we can tell who is related to who, which eagles are producing offspring, how closely related they are, and we can deter- mine if we are getting migrants in from other regions.” Van Den Bussche said the genome sequencing could also help in better understanding disease and how the eagles will adapt to climate change and increasing temperatures. The OSU and Iowa Tribe partnership is leading eagle research, not only in Oklahoma, but across the nation. For more information and to arrange a tour of the Grey Snow Eagle House, visit:
http://eagles.iowanation.org or call 405-880-0734.
FEBRUARY 2016 23
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