CONWAY — Two barred owls recently struck by cars in Whately are recovering nicely at Tom Ricardi’s raptor sanctuary in Conway, and will be released back into the wild soon.
Last October, Amy Heflin was driving down Haydenville Road in Whately when she spotted an injured owl lying on the side of the road. Whately Police Sgt. Donald Bates, who responded to Heflin’s call, notified Ricardi, a raptor rehabilitator who’s known in the community as “the bird man.”
Then, a few days ago, Bates rescued a second owl from the middle of Long Plain Road. He wrapped the bird in a blanket and again called Ricardi.
On Friday, Ricardi, who worked as a state game warden for just shy of 40 years, led the way through a maze of cages on his North Poland Road property — it houses about 50 recovering raptors and another 10 or so permanent residents — to a large enclosure where a few barred owls, including the two from Whately, perched in a dark corner.
“The first thing I do when I rescue a bird is evaluate it,” Ricardi said. “A good majority of them are just stunned, and I’m able to release them within two to three weeks.”
If it’s injured, however, Ricardi calls Dr. Robert Schmitt from South Deerfield Veterinary Clinic. Ricardi pays for veterinarian services out-of-pocket.
At the enclosure, Ricardi explained that one of the two recently injured owls had a bad eye, the other, a broken wing. Ricardi noted that at least one of the owls will be released by Bates and his son.
“I’ve got quite a few barred owls this year, more than usual,” Ricardi said. “It’s like an invasion. All these owls have been hit by cars. About 90 percent I’ve picked up in the middle of the highway.”
Currently, there are more than 15 barred owls recovering or staying at the sanctuary, including one rescued near the center of Northfield Friday morning.
Along with barred owls, Ricardi cares for a few bald eagles, a golden eagle, a black hawk from Africa, a rare black vulture, kestrels, a peregrine falcon, red tailed hawks, great horned owls and other raptors at the sanctuary.
For Ricardi, working with predators is a calling, one he isn’t paid for. He also covers most of the sanctuary’s expenses himself and through donations, about 30 pounds of fish, quail, mice and other mammals per day.
“It’s just like any other interest that kids have — mine was birds,” he said, explaining that he knew he wanted to work with birds as a youngster, and attended the “school of hard knocks. I read every book I could find, and I’m still learning.”
Over the years, Ricardi’s raptor rescue has evolved and grown exponentially. Last year, roughly 120 birds recovered or stayed at the sanctuary, including five bald eagles.
“It just kept growing and growing and growing. Now, it’s a full time job,” Ricardi said. “When I got into fish and wildlife law enforcement, most raptors were not protected by law.”
Today, raptors are covered by strict law, especially bald eagles, Ricardi noted, “I’m really proud and honored to be able to say that I’ve got permits to work with bald eagles.”
He’s worked with dozens of eagles over the years, but a few stand out. One in particular, which died about five years ago, developed a particularly strong “trust bond” with Ricardi.
“When I’d sit and talk with people, she’d reach over and take my glasses off and drop them on the floor,” Ricardi said with a laugh. “That was quite a bird. She was a monster. As soon as I took her out of the box, she’d put her head back and just scream, scream, scream. She put on a nice show.”
Another notable bald eagle, which Ricardi rescued and released, was discovered in New Hampshire. Conservationists estimated that she’d raised about 40 eagle chicks in the years following Ricardi’s rescue.
Not all of the injured birds Ricardi rescues can be released back into the wild.
Some are given to conservation organizations and places like Look Park, which has cared for a few bald eagles in the past.
Others, Ricardi employs as ambassadors of raptor conservation, taking them about twice per week to schools, nursing homes, and other venues for educational events.
To that end, Ricardi said, “I try and be no frills. I tell them exactly what’s going on in the environment. I don’t sell T-shirts. The bottom line is to get the birds back to the environment.