Laurens Wildlife Rescue
  • Home
  • I found a wild baby - what do I do?
  • How can I help?
  • Contact us
  • FAQ
  • This week in wildlife

Ringing in the new year with a rant

1/5/2014

12 Comments

 
In keeping with the intakes-on-holidays tradition, LWR received a first-year red tailed hawk on New Year’s Eve and a first-year sharp-shinned hawk on New Year’s Day. It’s the RT that leads to my combined last rant of 2013 and first rant of 2014.

I had suspicions about this bird based on his behavior at intake, but he was stressed, so I gave him time to calm down some before attempting more than a cursory exam, which revealed no injuries. This was good news. However, my interaction with this RT during the exam and afterward confirmed my earlier suspicions. He’d been in human hands—abusive human hands. He fell on his side, wing raised defensively, when I reached in for him. He flinched when I moved my hand while holding him. His eyes bugged out and the pupils pinned when he looked at me—and he watched my hand movements like he expected to be hit. His talons were overgrown enough that I blunted just the tips of them so he didn’t puncture his own foot when he balled his feet up in stress and fear. He was dehydrated.  He refused to eat on his own, but gave the juvenile begging call for food, so I had to hand-feed him, after which he would crouch in the bottom of his box. His flight muscles didn’t feel developed to me. He showed signs of having worn jesses. In short, everything about this bird suggested he’d been in captivity since he was very young—and had not been treated kindly or with any degree of skill or training. And then he’d been dumped to fend for himself without any survival skills. 
Picture
Picture
Are you steaming yet? I still am, every time I think about it.
Picture
I discussed his behavior with Steve Hicks of Bubba & Friends, who agreed with my assessment, and since Steve currently has two first-year RTs in rehab, we decided the best outcome for this RT would result from being with Steve and these other two RTs.  After the transfer, Steve called me to confirm again that our initial assessment was correct. It will now take Steve months of work to undo what some damn fool, in their sheer arrogance and stupidity, did to this bird.  
Picture
His box is a mess in the video clip below, as I had to wait until after I'd fed him to change the paper; otherwise he fell over on his side and wouldn't eat.
I’m not even gonna sugar-coat this, people—if I could find out who screwed up this bird in this fashion, I promise you, I could provide like treatment for them and sleep like a baby afterwards. There’s just no excuse. I don’t wanna hear, “Well, I didn’t know…” If you don’t know what you’re doing, then here’s a wild guess: You’re not properly licensed for whatever you’re doing, so you’re breaking the law. FIND A PROPERLY PERMITTED INDIVIDUAL AND SURRENDER THE BIRD TO THEM. And if you claim to have a permit and this is the result of your “training”, your permit should be revoked and you should never be allowed near birds again, upon pain of death. Harsh? Not as far as I’m concerned. Don’t harm Georgia’s native wildlife and expect me to tolerate your stupidity without expressing my very strong opinion and my burning desire to return the “favor”.

Stepping off my soapbox, let me thank Telfair County 911, the Telfair County deputy who found and captured the RT and the Telfair firefighter who brought him to me. All these individuals cared enough about our native wildlife to do the right thing. We need more people like them!

On New Year’s Day, this poor sharpie came in with both wing and leg fractures on the right side. The wing fracture was open; the leg fracture was right at the joint and there appeared to be nerve damage to the foot. Either fracture alone would have been a deal-breaker; combined, they gave this poor bird no chance at all. He was euthanized.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
And on Friday night, a couple found a hawk huddled against a building in Bulloch County in a downpour. Unfortunately, he died of starvation en route. This first-year Cooper’s hawk was rail thin. There was nothing that could have been done for him, even if he’d survived the trip to LWR. Once birds reach a certain threshold, there’s nothing that can pull them back from death’s door. His pitifully exposed keel was stark evidence that he’d passed that threshold. It’s been that kind of winter for our raptors: too little food and bad hunting weather have combined to create too many HBC and starving raptors.
Picture
Picture
The bald eagle is doing well, per Steve: http://www.bubba-and-friends.org/living-wild-in-georgia.html . (My face is healing just fine, too!)

The barred owl slated for a Christmas Eve release did indeed get his release, which sorta got overshadowed by the BE intake that night. Normally, I release owls closer to dusk, but given that this guy had one eye with only partial vision, I released him earlier, so I could track him down more easily if he ran into trouble during the release. It can happen—not often, but I’m paranoid!
Picture
Picture
I did manage a few shots of the flyers, so enjoy!
Picture
Picture
Picture
12 Comments
Elizabeth H link
1/5/2014 08:51:43 am

Believe it or not, I had a Coop smash into our window about a month ago. My husband was sitting there and it just whacked right into it. By the time he remembered to mention it to me, I went out and he had expired. Poor guy. After calling around to see about disposal, I had a chance to examine him closely. It's amazing how beautiful they are. But he seemed to be quite healthy, smacking into the window aside. Happy New Year!!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/5/2014 09:19:15 am

They are pretty birds, even more so when they get their adult coloration. At a guess, your guy probably broke his neck on impact.

Reply
Pam M
1/5/2014 10:50:42 am

Hi there Elizabeth. I wonder if you have considered putting those invisible (to us) cutouts on your windows to help prevent birds hitting them. I had a lot of hummingbird crashes this past spring and now have them on all my picture windows. They seem to work well. --Pam in Golden CO (former Laurens Co resident)

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/5/2014 11:48:12 am

Excellent suggestion, Pam!

irene leslie (redrosiesmom)
1/5/2014 09:11:46 am

I don't know how you manage to do so much for these poor birds but thank you. I do enjoy your updates and rants... The birds of Georgia are lucky to have you....

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/5/2014 09:19:57 am

Thanks Irene!

Reply
Ann Feldman
1/5/2014 10:19:23 am

My blood pressure rose when I read the post about the Red-tail. But in the long run he may turn out ok. There is a book about a human imprinted RT "A Wing In the Door" which you might find interesting. That bird was not, however, abused. What kind of monster could abuse a bird ? On a lighter note, my sister gave me th Crossley ID Raptor book for Christmas. So what did I see in her back yard on Dec 24? A Sharpie!

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/5/2014 11:47:30 am

I actually have that book in one of my ever-growing "to read" stacks, Ann. RTs are pretty resilient birds, so once he's in the flight pen with the other two, he should "wild up" nicely. The issue now is getting him to the point he can be put in the flight pen, which is where Steve has much more experience than I do. As for the kind of monster who would abuse a bird, I'd say it's the same type of egotistical ass who would keep one knowing full well they didn't know how to properly care for or train one.

Congrats on seeing the sharpie. Sharpies are the neatest little raptors--so full of piss and vinegar for their small size!

Reply
Debbie Screws
1/5/2014 11:12:14 am

I wonder if this is supposed to be a new thug thing? Pit bulls, big snakes, and raptors? Stupid idea, but people who keep wild animals for a status symbol are. Stupid.

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/5/2014 11:50:17 am

It's a viable theory, sadly. People with huge egos and correspondingly small genitalia seem to enjoy "owning" animals they shouldn't be allowed near.

Reply
Anne Golden (AnneG)
1/5/2014 11:18:18 am

The barred owl looks like a fan dancer in that tree! These birds are so lucky to find you.

Reply
Laurens Wildlife Rescue
1/5/2014 11:51:20 am

Thanks Anne! Those were lucky shots; I don't always get such good photos from a release!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008

    Categories

    All
    Baby Birds
    Baby Deer
    Baby Opossums
    Baby Possums
    Baby Rabbits
    Bluegray Gnatcatchers
    Carolina Wren
    Common Loons
    Epd
    Fawns
    House Finch
    Mbta
    Migratory Bird Treaty Act
    Mockers
    Mockingbirds
    Orphaned Birds
    Orphaned Deer
    Orphaned Fawns
    Orphaned Opossums
    Orphaned Possums
    Orphaned Rabbits
    Orphaned Wildlife
    Squirrels
    Wildlife
    Wood Ducks

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.