There's no such thing as a normal day at Tasmania's Raptor Refuge.

The sanctuary, 30 minutes from Hobart, houses eagles, owls, hawks and falcons brought in from all pockets of the state.

About 100 birds of prey are killed in Tasmania every year through encounters with powerlines, and countless more from cars, poisons, bullets and windfarms.

The refuge has dozens of permanent residents whose injuries mean they can't survive in the wild.

A new raptor rescue hotline has raised awareness of the plight of the birds — and led to the refuge being a much busier place.

A wedge-tailed eagle about to be released by Craig Webb near South Arm. ( ABC Hobart: Georgie Burgess )

The 'raptor bloke'

Craig Webb started the refuge in 2001 after gaining a reputation as the "raptor bloke".

"It's grown exponentially ever since then."

Mr Webb said he accidentally became involved with raptors after working at a vet clinic in northern Australia where he treated crocodiles, wallabies, kangaroos and eagles.

He returned home to Tasmania after six years, hoping to look after the state's native wildlife, particularly kangaroos and wallabies.

"Some birds came in and I thought I'd build a couple of aviaries."

A sea eagle was brought in, leading Mr Webb to build a very large aviary. Then, something someone said stuck with him.

The refuge takes in all birds of prey, including masked owls. ( Supplied: Raptor Refuge )

"Someone said, 'This is the bloke who does the raptors'.

"I just went with it and I built these facilities and learnt what to do."

It's a passion he's passed onto his teenage son, Ziggy.

"I love raptors, I love everything about them," he said.

Ziggy was recently given the honour of releasing a sea eagle.

"It's a great feeling. I love birds. I'll do it for the rest of my life, probably."

Craig Webb has passed on his passion for birds to his son Ziggy. ( ABC Hobart: Georgie Burgess )

The raptor hotline

The refuge has seen an increase in the amount of birds coming through its doors since a helpline was established.

Last year the 1800-RAPTOR phone number was launched for members of the public to ring if they came across injured or dead raptors.

"That's created a lot of awareness that there is help for these birds," Mr Webb said.

About 70 to 90 birds are brought in each year, but that number is on the rise.

The refuge started conducting tours as a source of income to fund the increasing workload.

A new partnership with a high-end travel company will also allow the work to continue.

Many victims of powerline encounters end up at the refuge for care. ( Supplied: Raptor Refuge )

There's no 'normal day'

Juliet Harlow studied animal studies and got first-hand experience at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary before volunteering at the refuge and then joining it full time.

"It's an absolutely amazing place to work — there is no normal day with raptor care."

She begins her day by feeding and checking on the birds, before giving medication or bandages to sick and injured birds.

"They are just unique creatures. How can you not be fascinated by them?.

"People can see them from all parts of the state; in cities you can see the peregrine falcons, and out in the country you can see big wedge-tails or the brown falcons.

"They're a really cool creature and an important part of our ecosystem."

Juliet Harlow has been working at the refuge for almost five years. ( ABC Hobart: Georgie Burgess )

'This is what it's all about'

Eagle releases aren't common, but on a chilly May morning Mr Webb prepares to return two of the giants back into the wild.

Sadly, only about 30 per cent of the raptors brought to the refuge will be released.

A small percentage of raptors are returned to the wild. ( Supplied: Raptor Refuge )

"We release smaller species of raptors on a semi-regular basis," he said.

"It's not a high number, but 30 per cent back out there is better than no percentage back out there."

A wedge-tailed eagle and juvenile sea eagle were brought in with injuries most likely from powerlines.

They came from the South Arm area and were being returned there for release by boat.

"I personally like some wind to help them because they are big birds," Mr Webb said.

"The wind makes it easier for them."

The eagles are successfully released and soon seen gliding in the distance.

"This is what it's all about."

Powerful threat



Powerlines are one of the biggest threats to the birds, and just the day before the release two more injured eagles were brought in.

It's a weekly occurrence, Mr Webb said, adding that the species couldn't afford that number of deaths and accidents.

While exact figures are unknown, there is estimated to be only 350 breeding pairs of the wedge-tailed eagle remaining.

Ziggy Gow-Webb with a young sea eagle ready to be released. ( ABC Hobart: Georgie Burgess )

Mr Webb has been working with transmission company TasNetworks to try and reduce the number of powerline deaths.

"Not enough has been done but the process has started," he said.

"We're getting a lot more calls and more data and we're mapping it and seeing where the hotspots are."

TasNetworks has invested $600,000 to install infrastructure to avoid eagles getting caught in powerlines and implemented a five-year strategy.

Plastic discs known as flappers have been rolled out to deter the eagles, as well as perches away from lines to avoid the birds being shocked.