Four raptors were admitted to the Pendleton center this past week. First was Merlin 24-018 with a long laceration on the underside of her right wing. No fractures were apparent on a radiograph, but there was soft tissue damage. After cleaning the wound it was closed with a small amount of super glue. We are concerned about reduced range of motion in the wing. Hopefully tincture of time and physical therapy will be effective.  

Wednesday brought two birds. Great Horned Owl 24-019 was found on the Umatilla Indian Reservation tangled in a wild rose bush. A physical exam found a dislocated shoulder and a long laceration on its back. It was also extremely depressed. 

Great Horned Owls are a high risk avian influenza species. It is very unlikely a healthy owl would get tangled in a rose bush. The decision was made to euthanize the owl. Testing confirmed it had highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Red-tailed Hawk 24-020 had an old injury to its left wing that was not repairable. Euthanasia was the only humane option.  Although they are also a high risk HPAI species, the virus is usually fatal within a few days. The hawk’s injuries were more than a week old. It was not going to be releasable, so we did not test for HPAI. 

If money was no object, we would test all high risk species, but the cost of testing is $75 – $145 per bird. The initial cost includes shipping. If the virus is detected the lab is required to determine the subtype of the virus and there is an additional $70 fee.  

Western Screech Owl 24-021 was admitted on Thursday. It had been roosting in a tree cavity when the tree was blown down. It was able to fly out of the tree, but then crashed into the side of a nearby house. We haven’t taken radiographs yet, but the owl appears to be feeling much better with fluids and anti-inflammatories on board.

On Saturday, Tricia and I returned Sharp-shinned Hawk  23-369 to Pilot Rock for release. The hawk had flown into a window at City Hall last December. Its always great to end the week on a happy note!