What to Do with an Injured Kestrel
Mrs. WC doesn’t do bird rehabilitation. She is licensed to keep two owls for educational purposes. But that doesn’t stop folks from calling from time to time reporting an injured bird. Wednesday night it was the Airport Police, who called to tell her that there was an injured “hawk” at the west end of the runway, and that if it went out on the active airway it would have to be “dispatched.” It’s not smart to be a raptor and hang out at airports.
So we loaded up the truck with the big kennel, a net, a couple of blankets, leather gloves and drove out to the end of the west ramp. The bird was at the entrance to Trailbreaker Kennel, with perhaps a few more security folks on hand than the situation required. And the “hawk” turned out to be an adult male American Kestrel, the smallest North American falcon.
WC distracted him with a blanket, and Mrs. WC grabbed him. It took maybe 15 seconds. Please, don’t try this yourself. You can get hurt and, more importantly to WC, you can hurt the bird.
A few minutes later he was in the truck, headed to After Hours, the all-night vet clinic, for transfer to the trained bird rehabbers at Mt. McKinley Animal Hospital in the morning.
Adult Male American Kestrel (iPhone Photo)
There were no obvious signs of injury, but he couldn’t fly. He’d been on the ground for a while; there was wear on the end of his otherwise handsome tail, and his stomach was dirty. He was stressed and showed signs of undernourishment. The best guess would be that he was struck by a car or a plane a few days ago.
WC will try to monitor treatment and let readers know how he does.
So what did you do last night?
>>> “….He was stressed and ….”
Does that explain the huge pupils, given what appears to be generous ambient light?
Paul Eaglin
Fairbanks
paul2eaglin
August 16, 2012 at 1:00 pm
In American Kestrels, the eye is the same color as the pupil, making the pupils very hard to see. He was worried, but not that worried.
/WC
Wickersham's Conscience
August 16, 2012 at 2:26 pm
Way to go Mr & Mrs WC!
davenak
August 16, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Beautiful bird! I have never seen one before, Hope he gets well. And thank you both for your efforts.
On a side note, is it possible to purchase any of your Bird Pictures?
mrfw48
August 16, 2012 at 5:13 pm
American Kestrels are fairly common in the Northeast. They tend to perch on telephone wires over fields.
WC’s photos are indeed for sale.
http://frozenfeatherimages.zenfolio.com
/WC
Wickersham's Conscience
August 16, 2012 at 5:21 pm
Whoever never has, go read Robinson Jeffers’s agonizingly beautiful masterpiece, “Hurt Hawk”. My mother had me read it when I was far, far too young to appreciate its awesome construction, which is far overshadowed to a nine-year-old’s tender sentiments by the overt message. Many decades later, it remains for me at the highest echelons of English language poetry.
I’ll not tread on copyright laws here, but you easily can find it on-line.
alaskaranger
August 17, 2012 at 10:16 am
If WC’s readers haven’t read “Hurt Hawks,” they should. Here’s a link. It’s extraordinary, and the line “I’d sooner, except the penalties, kill a man than a hawk” has made it controversial. Here’a sample of the criticism of Robinson Jefffers’ great work.
/WC
Wickersham's Conscience
August 17, 2012 at 10:42 am