our newest patient

September 10, 2009

Our newest patient is a young Red Tailed hawk. This is a first year bird, meaning that he was hatched this year. He was found yesterday alongside a road near Bear Lake, Michigan. A concerned citizen spotted the bird and rescued him off the road. The young hawk was admitted to Wings of Wonder the following day. I decided to first bathe this hawk because it was immediately apparent that he was loaded with parasites commonly referred to as "flat flies". These flies truly live up to their name...they are about the size of house flies but are very, very flat so they can easily maneuver between feathers as they take their blood meals. They are nasty little pests and this bird had a lot of them. After his bath he was weighed and examined. His weight was 885 grams...a bit thin. Normally this bird should weigh closer to 1000 grams. The exam revealed a fractured ulna bone in his left wing, between his wrist and his elbow. It is quite likely this hawk had been hit by a car.
I transferred the bird into a cozy pet crate, where he immediately stepped up on the perch. He was then fed several large rodents ...a nice surprise to be "served" rodents on a platter!
Tomorrow the hawk will be examined and x-rayed by one of our attending veterinarians. These x-rays will determine whether he is a surgical candidate or not. If the fracture does not involve a joint, and if the affected bones are not splintered or shattered and can withstand the necessary medical proceedures, then we may choose to have the surgery performed. Not every patient admitted to Wings of Wonder becomes a rehab candidate. Unfortunately we can not save them all.
This has truly been a very, very busy week with Red Tailed Hawks. Over the past hand full of days we have admitted 7 of these youngsters. Not all have lived....some were admitted at such critically low weights or were so severly injured that there was not much we could do for them. Autumn is a difficult time of the year for these inexperienced raptors. They are are now out on their own without parents bringing them food. Besides perfecting their new flying skills, they must also learn to hunt and kill with efficiency. Research has shown that 75% of young raptors die before they can complete their first winter.
If you come across a raptor in distress, please don't hesititat to contact Wings of Wonder.