Community Post

Injured raptor

Posted on by

This city never ceases to amaze.

At about 7 p.m. Sunday evening, our car was struck by a raptor (bird of prey), edit:  apparently a Cooper’s hawk, at 23rd & E Columbia. I was able to track it into a driveway on 23rd and keep an eye on it while my husband looked for info on who to call for a rescue, but after a little while it got spooked and ran off towards E Marion. It turned up a driveway just before Marion and disappeared into greenery and we were unable to find it again.

The bird is injured; its left wing doesn’t work properly (there’s a good chance it’s broken) and it can’t fly. It’s mottled brown and cream along the head, has a brown back, tail, and wings, with a mostly-cream breast. It has a very sharp yellow-brown beak and brownish legs. There are bands on both its legs, and the band on the left leg is blue. The bands indicate that someone is tracking it.

If anyone has any information on this bird or on who to contact in a situation like this, please let us know. And please keep an eye out. While I fear the most likely outcome for this little guy is to be caught by another predator, there’s always a chance we can get it some help.

Edit: We were able to find the number for Sarvey and have left a message with them. Thank you to everyone for your help.

0 thoughts on “Injured raptor”

  1. I just copied a link to your post and sent it to Tweeters-a local birding list. There are a couple people studying Cooper’s hawks that have nested in Volunteer Park and the Arbouretum. They banded the fledglings and try to keep track of them as they mature and move about the territory.

  3. We did that, thank you–after a long phone chain, my husband got their number. Unfortunately due to the time there was no one there, but he left a message with all the details.

  5. Did you get the details from the blue VID tag? There are two letters vertically on the tag. I’d like to know what they are as they identify the bird.

    Which leg was the blue tag on? That tells the sex of the bird.

    The bird you saw was a Cooper’s Hawk.

    I’ve been observing and helped band three juvenile Cooper’s Hawks at Volunteer Park (CapHill) which are banded with a blue VID tag and a federal band (which I believe you have) and were last seen three days ago before they dispersed from the park.

    I’m also in touch with the bander and can pass details to him for his survey work.

    Please send me an email with any details you have at [email protected]

    Thanks,
    Kevin Purcell

  6. I’ve sent an e-mail as requested, but most of the details are in the post above. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.

  7. I saw a Cooper’s trying to catch a teen age squirrel next to the YMCA on 24th and Olive on Saturday morning.

  8. The other day on 25th ave and fir, it was sitting on a line eatting a rat…or some other non squirrel rodent. I’d love to know if its ok!!!

  9. I’m pretty sure we saw the same hawk swooping over our yard that same day, but around 3:30 in the afternoon. How sad that it got hurt later…