The Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA) Partnership will host its annual fundraiser, Snake River Raptor Fest, at the Indian Creek Winery in Kuna on Saturday.
The organization coordinates with the Bureau of Land Management, which operates the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area south of Boise, to monitor raptors that live in the area, restore their habitat, and do education and outreach, said Matt Podolsky, a board member with the Birds of Prey NCA Partnership.
The event will take place from noon-5 p.m. Saturday at the winery, located at 1000 N McDermott Road in Kuna, and will feature local bands, as well as presenters discussing birds of prey and the Snake River Canyon, Podolsky said. Tickets are free, though donations during registration are encouraged.
The Morley Nelson conservation area is unique in that it was established specifically to protect prairie falcon habitat, one of the only preserves in the world established based on the needs of a specific species, Podolsky said. Though over 60% of the reserve’s habitat is degraded, it is home to large populations of birds of prey, as well as other species, such as ground squirrels and badgers, he said.
“We like to say it’s the most dense nesting area for birds of prey anywhere in North America or the world, but it is particularly special for prairie falcons,” Podolsky said.
In a normal area, you might find a prairie falcon every two miles or so, but at the Snake River canyon that runs through the protected area, they pack in as many nests as they can, practically “on top of each other,” he said.
Part of the organization’s role is filling the need for monitoring wildlife populations, Podolsky said. Though the area is unique, there is no federal funding dedicated to monitoring the preserve’s wildlife populations, he said.
Such research could be important to help understand whether populations are increasing or decreasing and to determine how to address pressures faced by the reserve, such as climate change, increased wildfire and invasive cheatgrass, and habitat degradation.
