The Raptor Trust

The Raptor Trust is a nonprofit wild bird rehabilitation center in the Millington section of Long Hill Township, Morris County, New Jersey. Its facilities are surrounded by the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, placing the organization within an important wetland and wildlife landscape. The Trust combines clinical care, rehabilitation, public education, and long-term refuge for birds that cannot safely return to the wild. The organization grew from the work of Len Soucy, whose interest in hawks began after a 1964 visit to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania. In 1968, Soucy acquired approximately 14 acres in Millington and, with assistance from his family, began caring for injured raptors in a backyard setting. As the number of birds brought to the property increased, the family’s informal effort developed into a more organized bird hospital. By the end of the 1970s, hundreds of birds were reportedly being received each year, and the operation required a formal institutional structure and more durable financial support. The Raptor Trust was established as a nonprofit organization in 1982. Its mission was built around three connected purposes: providing free care for orphaned and injured birds, educating the public about birds—particularly birds of prey—and demonstrating humane treatment of wildlife. The organization’s model therefore extends beyond veterinary intervention. Birds that can recover are rehabilitated with the aim of release, while birds with permanent injuries or other conditions that prevent release may remain in protected care and contribute to education. The center maintains an infirmary, educational facilities, a gift shop, and a substantial collection of cages and aviaries. The rehabilitation complex includes roughly 70 cages and aviaries for birds recovering before release as well as for permanent residents. Approximately 40 hawks, eagles, and owls are described as permanent residents. Visitors can view many of these unreleasable birds at close range, allowing the Trust to use individual animal stories and encounters to explain raptor biology, conservation, and the consequences of human-related hazards. A notable feature of the organization is that some permanently unreleasable birds have bred successfully, and certain unreleasable adults can serve as foster parents for younger birds. These roles give birds that cannot return to the wild a continuing place in the Trust’s rehabilitation and education work. The organization is therefore best understood not as a conventional consumer brand, but as the public-facing identity of a specialized wildlife-care institution whose services include rescue intake, rehabilitation, permanent sanctuary, visitor education, and conservation-oriented outreach.

The Raptor Trust traces its origins to Len Soucy’s interest in hawks. After visiting Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania in 1964, Soucy began developing a deeper involvement with birds of prey. In 1968, he acquired approximately 14 acres in Millington, New Jersey, and started caring for injured raptors at his home with help from his family. What began as a family effort expanded as more members of the public brought injured and orphaned birds to the property. A bird hospital was added, and the organization’s work became increasingly visible. By the end of the 1970s, hundreds of birds were reportedly arriving annually. The volume of cases and the continuing need for treatment, facilities, and public support led to the creation of a formal nonprofit structure. The Raptor Trust was founded in 1982 to provide organizational and financial infrastructure for the expanding mission. From the beginning, that mission combined free treatment for orphaned and injured birds with education and an ethic of humane conduct. The organization’s work has continued to link direct animal care with public understanding of birds, especially hawks, eagles, and owls. Its present site includes an infirmary, educational facilities, a gift shop, and approximately 70 cages and aviaries. These spaces support birds undergoing rehabilitation before release and birds that are permanently unable to survive independently in the wild. Around 40 hawks, eagles, and owls are permanent residents. Some unreleasable birds have bred successfully, and some can act as foster parents for younger birds, giving them useful roles within the center’s care and education programs. The Trust also receives visitors who can observe many of the permanent birds at close range. This public-facing role helps translate rehabilitation work into education about raptor behavior, wildlife health, conservation, and humane treatment. Its location amid the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge reinforces its connection to a broader regional environment of wetlands and wildlife habitat. The institution’s development is therefore a progression from a family-run backyard response to injured hawks into an established nonprofit center combining rehabilitation, sanctuary, education, and visitor engagement.

1. 1982The Raptor Trust is founded as a nonprofit

   The organization was formally established to provide infrastructure for free bird care, public education, and humane wildlife stewardship.

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2. 1979The operation is receiving hundreds of birds annually

   By the end of the 1970s, the growing operation was handling hundreds of birds each year, increasing the need for formal organizational support.

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3. 1970A bird hospital is added

   The family rehabilitation effort expanded beyond backyard care with the addition of a bird hospital.

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4. 1968Soucy begins caring for injured raptors in Millington

   Len Soucy acquired approximately 14 acres in Millington, New Jersey, and began caring for injured raptors with help from his family.

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5. 1964Len Soucy develops an interest in hawks

   A visit by Len Soucy to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania helped spark the interest in birds of prey that later led to The Raptor Trust.

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A nonprofit, mission-led wildlife rehabilitation and education organization focused on humane care for wild birds, with particular expertise and public visibility in the treatment of raptors.

• Wild bird rehabilitationWildlife care service

  The Trust provides free care for injured and orphaned wild birds. Birds are housed and treated in an infirmary and then moved through rehabilitation facilities as appropriate, with the objective of returning releasable individuals to the wild.

• Raptor rehabilitation and release preparationRaptor conservation service

  Hawks, eagles, owls, and other birds of prey are among the Trust’s principal areas of public identity and care. The aviary complex gives recovering birds space for recuperation and preparation for possible release.

• Permanent resident bird careWildlife sanctuary service

  Birds that cannot be released may receive lifelong care in protected cages and aviaries. Approximately 40 hawks, eagles, and owls are described as permanent residents, and some participate in education or foster younger birds.

• Bird education and visitor programsEnvironmental education

  Educational facilities and visitor viewing areas allow the public to see many unreleasable birds at close range. These encounters support the Trust’s goal of increasing understanding of birds, especially birds of prey, and promoting humane conduct toward wildlife.

1. The Raptor Trust
2. The Raptor Trust official website