Edgerton Raptor Specialist Deb Miller holds the latest addition to the Edgerton Explorit Center’s raptor education program, Jet, the American kestrel. Miller said she settled on the name, Jet, because she flew on a commercial airliner to North Carolina to pick him up from a breeder and also because, as a member of the falcon family, he’s an extremely fast flier. (Kestrels can reach speeds of up to 40 mph during level flight and can dive at speeds exceeding 60 mph when hunting.) She said since Jet was raised in captivity and is not a rescue bird like the other three raptors in the program, he can fly. She hopes to eventually have him fly to her during her programs but said because he is still young, it will take some time to train him to do that.
Meet the fourth member of Edgerton’s raptor faculty
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