Need some advice!!

MarkBNJ

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
Urgent advice needed! [Resolved]

Hi guys. Quick backstory: driving home this evening I saw this little guy standing on the side of the road, way too close to traffic. I swung around and pulled over, and for the next 45 minutes he stood there while I remained to protect him from traffic, and worked my cel trying to figure out what to do with him:



He or she obviously is fledged, and probably on his/her own, but just as obviously not well. I spoke with the police and asked the desk sarge whether he knew of any rescue organization that would come out, but lost the cel signal. I spoke with NJDEP/Wildlife Control but they just offered to take a report. After a few minutes he/she was startled by a car and flapped a few feet into the brush.



I stayed around for another ten minutes, before deciding there was nothing I could immediately do. Went home, did some quick Googling, couldn't find anyone who would respond. Got a towel and went back. The bird allowed itself to be taken without too much fuss, just a little flapping, and he/she is now resting in our garage in a large cage pending whatever I can figure out tomorrow.

First question is: what do we have here? It's obviously a raptor. My first impression was Red-tail Hawk, but I am not sure.

Second question: anyone have any idea what I can do next? I rescued it but I don't know how to care for it. In the morning if I can't figure anything else out I will call our vet.
 
MarkBNJ

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
Under no circumstances will I be trying it on my own :). I just want to find someone who can care for it. I was initially very reluctant to try and capture it, but my 11 year-old daughter badgered me into it after seeing the pictures.

Edit: I left a message for the folks at the Raptor Trust in Millington, NJ, which is not far from here. Rescuing hawks is what they do, so hopefully I will hear from them in the morning.

Edit2: Got a call back from the folks at the Raptor Trust. We're going to work out a pick up in the morning.
 
oji

oji

Piney
Jan 25, 2008
2,129
549
64
Browns Mills
BEHR655 said:
It looks like a Red-Tailed Hawk. There is a sanctuary in Medford, I don't remember the name, that will care for it. It is best that you don't try it on your own.

Steve
Click to expand...

Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, 856-983-3329. Hopefully the place close to you will call back and be able to help. Good luck and hopefully good results!
 
MarkBNJ

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
Thanks, Jerseyman. I was very hesitant to take it from the wild, for a bunch of reasons. Mostly just not fully understanding the consequences for the bird if I did. I then found another story online about a guy who captured an injured hawk with a towel, and delivered it to a rescue center, so we decided to try that. When I went back she had moved a couple of feet and was almost tangled in a bush. Later, we did some quick reading and realized it was fully fledged and we weren't going to interfere with some parental response (I had looked carefully for a parent the whole time I was there, and saw nothing).

For whatever reason she's very weak. I can't tell if she's injured, or ill. She is standing straight in the cage and I have seen her extend both wings, so there isn't an obvious injury. Given that she was by the road I was thinking maybe she was hit hard enough to stun, or cause some internal problem. But just guessing at this point.

Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, 856-983-3329. Hopefully the place close to you will call back and be able to help. Good luck and hopefully good results!
Click to expand...

They called me back within fifteen minutes Oji, at 10:20 PM! Obviously dedicated to what they do. We're going to speak in the morning and either I will take her over there, or they will send a volunteer to collect her.
 
Jerseyman

Jerseyman

Piney
Sep 10, 2003
1,379
432
West New Jersey
www.jerseyman-historynowandthen.blogspot.com
MarkBNJ said:
Thanks, Jerseyman. I was very hesitant to take it from the wild, for a bunch of reasons. Mostly just not fully understanding the consequences for the bird if I did. I then found another story online about a guy who captured an injured hawk with a towel, and delivered it to a rescue center, so we decided to try that. When I went back she had moved a couple of feet and was almost tangled in a bush. Later, we did some quick reading and realized it was fully fledged and we weren't going to interfere with some parental response (I had looked carefully for a parent the whole time I was there, and saw nothing).

For whatever reason she's very weak. I can't tell if she's injured, or ill. She is standing straight in the cage and I have seen her extend both wings, so there isn't an obvious injury. Given that she was by the road I was thinking maybe she was hit hard enough to stun, or cause some internal problem. But just guessing at this point.
Click to expand...

Mark:

I understand your angst about removing the bird from the wild and all of the ramifications surrounding such action. But I’ve got to tell you that leaving the bird where you found it was also not an option, for the bird surely would have met its demise along the highway there. So, no matter what the ancillary consequences of your actions, you definitely did the right thing and saved that bird’s life!! I think the care center will probably be able to bring it back to full health and the bird will live to soar again above the trees, catching thermals as it glides ever upward.

Please keep us posted on the bird’s progress!

Best regards,
Jerseyman
 
MarkBNJ

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
She's up and alert this morning, which will make getting her out of the cage and into a box an interesting challenge.

The folks at the Raptor Trust think she was hit, and has a broken bone associated with the shoulder that is often damaged when hawks and cars meet.

I'll fill you guys in after we drop her off.

Edit: We dropped her off at the Raptor Trust this morning, and spent some time touring the grounds. They have Golden and Bald Eagles, many different types of Hawks and Owls, including a pair of Great Snowy's. Very interesting.

Anyway, our patient was a Broadwing, not a Red-Tailed, and as far as prognosis, the volunteer thought it was good that she was so feisty this morning. Only time will tell. She will receive a full examination tomorrow, after de-stressing for 24 hours, including x-rays. The best guess of the staff at this point is that she was hit by a car.
 
Jerseyman

Jerseyman

Piney
Sep 10, 2003
1,379
432
West New Jersey
www.jerseyman-historynowandthen.blogspot.com
Mark:

Any news from the refuge???? Have they assessed the condition of the bird and can they bring it back to full health???? Was she, indeed, hit by a car????

Inquiring minds want to know!!!!

Best regards,
Jerseyman

P.S. Late afternoon yesterday I left my S10 pick-up in parking lot in Cherry Hill and rode to a couple of places with a friend. When I arrived back at the truck, I heard a bird chirping loudly, but after looking up into the nearby trees, I could not figure out where the bird was located. So, I climbed into my truck and started home through the traffic. It was only when I was underway that I realized the chirping bird was in my back bed. I couldn’t easily stop, so I continued homeward and drove down to the Palmyra Nature Cove to deposit the bird. All the way home I heard the bird, but as I drove the final 1000 yards into the nature cove, the bird stopped chirping and after pulling into the parking lot, I discovered the bird had finally flown out of the bed. The ride home was really bizarre, hearing the bird and knowing it was riding in the bed and then to have it suddenly leave!!!
 
MarkBNJ

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
I'll call them near the end of the day today and see whether they have an update. They seemed very busy yesterday, and I got the impression that they feel the right role for the public is to drop the bird off and leave :). Still, I'm sure they will tell me how she is making out. They were going to give her 24 hours before starting any medical analysis, anyway.

Did you see what kind of bird you had in the bed?
 
dragoncjo

dragoncjo

Piney
Aug 12, 2005
1,579
307
43
camden county
Very nice work Mark. At many wildlife rehabbers they will not tell you know how the animal is doing. This is a policy at many. I took a box turtle last year to ceder woodford, they are a great place. However, I would love to know if the animals make it. I've tried to call, but have never received a call back. Once again good job.
 
Jerseyman

Jerseyman

Piney
Sep 10, 2003
1,379
432
West New Jersey
www.jerseyman-historynowandthen.blogspot.com
MarkBNJ said:
I'll call them near the end of the day today and see whether they have an update. They seemed very busy yesterday, and I got the impression that they feel the right role for the public is to drop the bird off and leave :). Still, I'm sure they will tell me how she is making out. They were going to give her 24 hours before starting any medical analysis, anyway.

Did you see what kind of bird you had in the bed?
Click to expand...

Mark:

Sorry, but I did not get a good look at it, other than to say it was a medium grey color and about the size of your open palm and fingers. I really wish I could tell you what kind of bird it was.

Best regards,
Jerseyman
 
MarkBNJ

MarkBNJ

Piney
Jun 17, 2007
1,875
73
Long Valley, NJ
www.markbetz.net
Update on the hawk: I received a message from Donna at The Raptor Trust today, letting me know that the bird is well and has been in an outdoor aviary since the 6th. They were not able to find any medical problem, so we don't know why she was standing on the side of the road, or why she allowed herself to be captured. Perhaps she was sideswiped by a car and flustered. As Donna explained, fledgelings often get into trouble.

By the way, not only does the Trust permit inquiries into the condition of rescued birds, they encourage it through an option on their voicemail system. You leave a message and they call back with a report. Very cool, and just one more reason to be impressed with this group.

Anyway, thought you guys would like to know how the story ends.
 
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