A Full House: 3 Cooper’s Hawks and 2 Golden Eagles
To be sure, the eagles are both outside in a flight pen and two of the Cooper’s Hawks were admitted two weeks ago, but there are 3 Cooper’s Hawks currently in hospital cages. Below are Golden Eagles Trapper and Denio, a leg-trap injury and a femur fracture, respectively.
A Cooper’s Without A Tale
It would be so nice if the birds could tell us their story. Often we get very little background information. Such was the case with this young Cooper’s Hawk. The call came in: “There’s a hawk in my yard. It can sort of fly, but has no tail.” Volunteers Dan and Claudia responded to the call and captured the hawk. Volunteer Toni transported her to Umatilla where she met Bob who brought the bird on to Pendleton.
An exam revealed that in addition to the missing tail feathers, there were two missing primary feathers on the right wing and there was swelling in the cere, the area just above the beak. We could see no obvious injuries on a radiograph, although the two short pieces of feather shaft of the middle two tail feathers are visible. The rest of the tail feathers broke off at the skin. Hopefully they will regrow quickly. In the mean time we will provide supportive care and cage rest for a few days. Then move her to an outside mew to grow new feathers. No need for a tail sheath to protect the tail feathers on this bird!
All Grown Up!
Ten days after their arrival, the small Flycatchers are flying and self-feeding. After a few days in a flight pen they will be released.
