Last week saw a slight uptick in intakes, one with a fatal injury and one the jury’s still out on.
Starting with the “jury out” bird, this gorgeous (is there any other kind?) first-year red tail came in yesterday from Houston County. Finders reported him walking around their porch, unwilling to fly and putting up minimal resistance when they boxed him for transport.
Starting with the “jury out” bird, this gorgeous (is there any other kind?) first-year red tail came in yesterday from Houston County. Finders reported him walking around their porch, unwilling to fly and putting up minimal resistance when they boxed him for transport.
His mussed head feathers lead to a logical guess that he whacked a window head-on; the cracked cere looks like an older injury that’s partially healed. His breath was labored yesterday, making me suspect he’d also bruised his ribs/lungs—it wasn’t the struggle for breath that comes with a blown lung; I’ve seen that before and it ain’t pretty.
By this morning his breathing was normal and he was more alert, so that’s a good sign. Fingers crossed…
By this morning his breathing was normal and he was more alert, so that’s a good sign. Fingers crossed…
The fatal injury was a barred owl from Laurens County. His left wing was totally trashed, shattered at the shoulder. He was humanely euthanized.
The barred owl with the wing fracture and cloudy eye is recovering nicely. The eye is totally clear now, and he amuses himself with beak-click threats every time I walk over to feed him. It will be late October before we’ll be able to test him to see if the wing healed for flight.
There will be no update next Sunday, September 28.
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