Some Stories Never Get Old

This posting is a bit late as I have been having some problems with posting pictures. I couldn't bear telling this story without the pictures. I am also happy to share this behind the scenes photo that shows how we hold birds (not more than 30 minutes) in preparation for release.

The hood keeps the bird, a cooper's hawk calm by keeping the vision dark. Hawks are very visual, so taking away sight goes a long way towards preventing them from intense stress or hurting themselves or their feathers which would jeopardize the release. Coincidentally, this bird remained with us for a very long time because of feather damage incurred while quarantined because of an infectious disease. Cooper's hawks are very high strung birds and will frequently fling themselves around their enclosure in a frantic attempt to escape. We were thrilled that we

were able to nurture this bird back to health and then provide a safe enclosure in which

the bird could grow feathers again and regain strength which allowed for her release. The towel restrains movement and prevents the panic response that sometimes ensues when a bird is left hooded in a cage. They remain quite calm and able to breathe.

When we schedule a public release, we like to have the bird ready ahead of time in case of any unforeseen circumstances. We also transport birds in this manner sometimes as well. Rolling a towel around them and securing the velcro band helps to restrict their activity. When unable to move, most animals tend to calm down (notice I said most). I like to explain the rationale behind our restraint of the birds because people tend to react very violently when they see an image like this, but when learning the rationale, they understand and become very intrigued how this actually works. Same principle works with cattle, horses, and other animals that would respond in panic situations.

So I happily said a little prayer and we sent this cooper's hawk on her way, just in time for the fall migration. The honor of release went to Justin, our herpetologist who has yet to release a bird. He was, understandably so, very excited about his first release. Way to go Justin! And way to go Cooper!

Another Spectacular Release

Here's a nice shot of another member of the Miami Dade County Firefighter's Venom Response Unit. Lisa Wood, a former wildlife rehabilitator was excited as we prepared to release a sharp shinned hawk that fully recovered from a particularly nasty fracture to her wing into a beautiful park in rural Davie Florida. Sharp shinned hawks, like cooper's hawks are accipiters and primarily prey upon other birds in an ambush style of hunting. We only see these little guys during the migration season which is slowly winding down. It seems as if we saw many more of these adorable, but amazing little hawks this year than in previous years. One can only hope that this is a good sign that they are either becoming more numerous or adapting to an urban lifestyle. In either case, it may mean that we will continue to see more and more of them every year. The cooper's hawk has made quite a living hunting abundantly in urban areas as pigeons, doves, and starlings abound. It does however make them an unfortunate target of those who would shoot them out of hatred for their adaptability and unfortunate habit of hanging around domestic pigeon breeders. Lets hope that the sharp-shinned hawk, because of its diminutive size, can slip under the radar.