Grey Snow Eagle House

Standing in anticipation with roughly 175 other people, waiting for the noon release of two rehabilitated eagles at Grey Snow Eagle House (GSEH) in Perkins, in the middle of what is about the be a tribal ceremony for the release of said eagles, I’m a little nervous. I have no idea what to expect. A few minutes before noon, a tribal member begins the ceremony by explaining the symbolism of the eagle. The Iowa Tribe believes that the eagle is the only living thing that has seen the face of God and that the eagle carries the prayers of the people to the Father. After this short explanation, he prays a moving prayer and then pours out an offering of tobacco. I later find out that this is done as a fragrant offering to God, a natural incense that the Creator gave to us that we can give back to Him.

I stand in awe, trying to keep tears from rolling down my face, when they open the first cage and the eagle takes one hop and soars gracefully and peacefully into the sky. This eagle, which was injured and spent a bit of time at GSEH, has been treated and is now being released back into the wild. All is quiet for several minutes while we watch in wonder as this beautiful creature flies like it had never been injured. After the first eagle can no longer be seen, the second eagle for the day is released – this marks the twentieth eagle GSEH has rehabilitated The second eagle hangs around a little longer and doesn’t fly as far before he lands in a nearby tree for the spectators to watch and photograph.

A few days later I got to go visit with Victor Roubidoux, the mastermind behind the Grey Snow Eagle House. It cost me two homemade coconut cream pies, but it was well worth it!

Several years ago Victor, a member of the Iowa Tribe, had the vision for an eagle rehab center. He took his vision to the tribal leaders, never expecting to be the one heading up the project. It’s a fitting calling for Victor, since he is Vietnam Vet and a member of the famed Screaming Eagles of the 101^st Airborne.

“Way back then,” he said, “I never imagined God would have me taking care of eagles.” He counts it as an honor to be able to do so, and after just a few minutes spent with Victor, you can tell he is extremely passionate about his work and love of the birds.

GSEH is currently home to 56 raptors. The project started in 2004 with a grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and now 96% of their funding is from the Iowa Tribe while the other 4% is from donations and fundraisers. They have 12 different structures on site that house the birds, ranging from a 150 foot flight cage to quarantine cages and a full-blown ICU.

When an eagle is in need of care, staff do a full physical on the bird: blood work, x-rays and fecal sample. This information is then sent to veterinarian Dr. Paul Welch of Forest Trails Animal Hospital in Tulsa, and he evaluates the bird’s needs. If a bird needs medical attention, Dr. Welch does not charge for his services, only for medications if the bird needs it.

When possible, the birds are released back to the area from which they were rescued. Often, however, the Oklahoma Wildlife Department contacts GSEH with a bird that needs medical attention and staff do not know where exactly the bird was found. In those cases, the bird is released at the facility in Perkins.

The birds are given the upmost respect during their stay at GSEH and the ones that are not able to be released back into the wild are treated like kings and queens. Staff member Abraham Lincoln gave me tour of the cages, and I found very clean facilities with water holes, perches, and toys. For those birds that can’t fly onto a perch, they have handicap ramps. Abraham told me cages are cleaned daily, the feathers are picked up and stored for tribal members, and the cages are power washed and disinfected 2-3 times each month. The birds are fed a diet of fish, rabbits, quail, and rats. During the summer, camp kids go fishing for perch to put in the small ponds in the cages for an additional treat for the birds. When an eagle dies, it is buried with feathers intact and with a ceremonial funeral.

I asked Abraham, who started volunteering at GSEH when he was 12 years old, what he enjoyed most about working at GSEH. “It is being able to go out and pick up an injured eagle, bring it back to the facility for care and, after rehabbing it and watching it fly again in the flight cage, getting to release it back into the wild. It is something that few can say they get to do during their lifetime.” He says he can’t imagine ever working anywhere else, and his goal is to make a career out of working with eagles.

Victor said they are hoping to be able to build a visitor center in the future. Since they opened to the public they have had over twelve thousand visitors from across the world. They are open for tours on Saturday and Sunday by appointment only, but they are only able to host 25-30 people per day because of space constraints. They also offer school tours during the week, again by appointment only. You can find Grey Snow Eagle House at www.facebook.com/greysnoweaglehouse, www.eagles.iowanation.org, or call 405-334-7471. You can follow their Facebook page for updates on releases and events that take place.

Take the time to head south of Perkins on The Corridor to the Grey Snow Eagle House. It will be worth your time!

Entrance to GSEH

Victor Roubidoux releases one of the 2 eagles on January 30, 2016 at the Grey Snow Eagle House in Perkins, OK. Bringing the total of eagles released back into the wild to 20

Victor Roubidoux and Abraham Lincoln releases one of the 2 eagles on January 30, 2016 at the Grey Snow Eagle House in Perkins, OK. Bringing the total of eagles released back into the wild to 20

One of the 2 eagles on January 30, 2016 at the Grey Snow Eagle House in Perkins, OK. Bringing the total of eagles released back into the wild to 20

Scrapper is a mature bald eagle that came from Wisconsin in 2011. He was hit by a car and sustained neck injuries. As a result of his injuries, he holds his wings up and away from his body. Scrapper is a happy bird that likes to talk and fly around the main flight cage.