Bird Brother: A Falconer’s Journey and the Healing Power of Wildlife
By Rodney Stotts with Kate Pipkin
(210 pages, nonfiction, 2022)
Rodney Stotts grew up on the gritty streets of Southeast Washington D.C. As a young man his life could go three ways – become a professional athlete, become a drug user, or a drug dealer. He chose the last option to make money. Through many struggles, he goes from this rocky beginning to become a master falconer. He is now one of America’s few Black master falconers. His love of nature began early. When he was around thirteen he would skip school and ride the metro to the Zoo at Woodley Park. He was impressed by the big animals – elephants, lions, tiger and hippos. But the raptors fascinated him.
At age 21 Rodney was looking for a legitimate job. It was a toss-up between two jobs. And the person who called him back first was Bob Nixon, founder of Earth Conservation Corps. As part of the ECC, Rodney and a group of other young people were to clean up the badly polluted Anacostia River near their home. The river was a dumping ground for all kinds of trash, mountains of it. No wildlife lived there. They estimated that they pulled 5,000 car tires out of the river in three months! But then tragedy strikes – Monique, his friend and coworker at ECC, is murdered. Through the years other friends are jailed or murdered. Rodney makes mistakes, but is finally able to turn his life around. And he does this by becoming involved with raptors.
This book contains fascinating accounts of Rodney’s life with raptors. Falconry is not a hobby, it is a lifestyle, Rodney says. Did you know that an apprentice falconer has to build his/her own aviary, and must trap his/her own wild young falcon? Rodney’s son Mike, a firefighter in D.C., wants to follow in his footsteps and become a master falconer. Rodney is very pleased, and becomes Mike’s mentor.
Rodney writes that he eventually learns that human relationships with wild things must have love, patience and above all respect. “Once we understand the wild things, we understand ourselves. At least, that’s what ended up happening with me.”
Now Rodney has his own place in rural Virginia with his horses, dogs and falcons. He teaches youngsters about raptors, how to handle them and to respect them. This is a fascinating and moving book; truly a story of “the healing power of wildlife.”
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Robbin Bailey
