The Draper Natural History Museum’s Raptor Experience shares the stories of rescued birds that fly in the greater Yellowstone area and beyond.
Live Raptor Husbandry and Training Specialist Brandon Lewis said Becky, a common raven, is the program’s newest addition.
“Becky, because she was found at a young age, she never learned how to survive on her own as a wild raven. So she doesn't have the life skills that most ravens are going to have,” he said.
Lewis said someone was trying to keep her illegally as a pet in their home, but that didn’t work out. That’s how she wound up with the Raptor Experience at the museum.
“And now it's my job to help teach her some of these life skills, but also new ones that most ravens don't necessarily get.”
For example, Lewis said, “It's not nice to peck hands when we're trying to teach her how to hop from one point to another, or it's not good to undo people's shoelaces during a presentation.”
Lewis hopes that she will eventually be one of the birds that flies across the stage for visitors to see. But he says getting her ready to perform could take at least a year.
So far, Lewis says Becky is learning quickly. While ravens are well known for the role they play in the ecosystem as scavengers, intelligence and an interest in solving puzzles are also signature traits, he said.