Wild Bird Fund

Imagine being one of the fiercest creatures on the block and then suddenly you’re helpless, lying flat on your back on the sidewalk, unable to move, stand or fly off. 

That’s what happened to this Cooper’s hawk, a juvenile we named Artemisia. She collided with a window, like 1,600 other patients we admitted this year, and was laid low. She demonstrated signs of concussion and trauma, but was able to stand and be more alert and defensive after a few days in care. Once she was stable, we transferred Artemisia to our friends at The Raptor Trust for ongoing care.

📷: Terra Tirapelli

We’d like to thank Soup, a new member of our squeaker squad, for helping us showcase our brand new ... incubators! Soup had only been here a day when she stepped into the role of spokespigeon, and we think she’s doing a fantastic job.

These six incubators were very generously donated by longtime volunteer and supporter Christina Caragine. Thank you, Christina!💕

📷: @tristanahigg, Eugene Oda

A member of the Prospect Park swan family, Balboa became hooked on a large fishing lure with triple, barbed hooks. His foot was hooked to his knee. This must have been so painful, but it also prevented him from swimming, walking or flying.

Park staff and volunteers tried repeatedly to catch him over a few stressful days, and they finally succeeded. Balboa is now safe in the clinic, receiving wound care and slurping down some waterfowl chow.

🎥: Finley Eisenberg, insta prospectparkwildlife

This young herring gull was found limping on the side of a road, unwilling to fly.

Bridget has been with us 2 weeks, and we’ve tested her repeatedly for infections, parasites and lead poisoning and even gave x-rays to check for a swallowed hook. We treated her for a parasitic infection, but otherwise nothing major has turned up.

The foot injury, which had healed but did show signs of infection, may have been more painful than it initially appeared. With foot soaks and antibiotics, she has recovered. 

Bridget has let us know that she’s ready to go. We look forward to sending this beauty back to the wild over the weekend. 

📷: Sarah Roberts

We witnessed another stunning turnaround this week with this big red-tailed hawk, a young female who was brought to us by @NYCACC on Halloween.

She had obviously suffered a collision, with a window or a vehicle. She was favoring one leg and struggling to hold her wings even. Fortunately, x-rays revealed no fractures, and after several days of care, Halloween is already perching well and very, very alert. She’s fierce and will be a powerhouse once she returns to the wild.

📷: Phyllis Tseng, Rachel Frank, Annie Barrett, Terra Tirapelli