Fifteen Swainson’s Hawks Placed in Three Hack Boxes
Hacking is a method of raising young raptors that mimics the care the birds would typically receive from their parents. BMW has been successfully raising and releasing Barn Owls from our Tri-Cities center since 2006. These Swainson’s Hawks will be ready to fledge from hack boxes at the Pendleton center in one to two weeks. They are among the more than one-hundred young hawks admitted to BMW after jumping from their nests several weeks ago in an attempt to escape the extreme heat. All of the Coop[er’s Hawks have been released at BMW’s Tri-Cities center. There are six more Swainson’s Hawks waiting for their turn to be placed in a hack box. Thank you to everyone who has sent donations to help pay for the extra mice and quail needed to feed all the hawks!
Bald Eagle 21-588
This young Bald Eagle was found on the ground near Moses Lake, WA. The land owner noticed there seemed to be a problem with one wing. Sadly, he was correct. The eagle’s left humerus was fractured. Even with surgery the likelihood of the eagle being able to fly well enough to be released was very poor. He was humanely euthanized.
Barn Owl 21-587
This fledgling Barn Owl (recovering from anesthesia in the photo above) was found in a Pendleton yard, unable fly. Our exam found him to be extremely emaciated, anemic and dehydrated. During the exam, while the owl was anesthetized, he briefly stopped breathing. After a few puffs of air using an endotracheal tube, his breathing returned to normal.
You might wonder why we anesthetize our patients during the initial physical exam. It allows us to do a thorough physical exam, draw a blood sample, take radiographs, treat wounds and administer IV fluids, all with minimal stress to the animal. One of the challenges of wildlife rehabilitation is weighing the benefits and risks of a procedure. In the vast majority of cases, the benefits of anesthesia far out weigh the risks.
