Injured Coopers Hawk in Downtown Worceter Today

You know, there are times when you don't have to go searching for birds and instead the birds come to you. Take this morning for example, I was at work typing away when suddenly my phone rang. It was building maintenance telling me they thought one of the falcons hit the building and was seriously hurt. My mouth went dry as panic set in over the fate of the falcon and their eggs. I asked him if he was sure if it was a falcon and he then said no, perhaps it was a hawk and he thought it was a Red Tailed Hawk. I looked out the window and squinted to see if I could make out what type of hawk it was. I couldn't so proceeded to ask if they had contacted Fish and Wildlife. Needless to say maintenance and meter attendants were all outside calling every number they could only to get transferred to another department.

I picked up my phone and called Tufts asking for the number for Fish and Wildlife and asking if we could bring him in there for care. They gave me the number and told me they would be waiting for him. One call and I got an answer from a very helpful man who told me to try and contain it in a box. You want me to what?? I asked. Put a towel over him and put him in a box with holes in it he told me. Ummmmm, will do I replied. I go down the elevator wondering how we were going to be able to pull this off.

This is what I see when I go down there. The poor thing was obviously in shock and unable to move much.

Finally the hawk regains some of its strength and proceeds to venture onto the grass to escape the ever growing audience.

He looked like he was going back into shock again so I asked for a box with holes and a towel and then asked for a volunteer to box him up to keep him calm until Wildlife replied. No one was eager to be put in this predicament so I grabbed the box and put it on top of him with a weight until help could arrive.

Here is the make shift carrier we devised. Notice the tape I requested so no one would bother it while I ran upstairs to check on the location of Fish and Wildlife!! HA! I am so over dramatic sometime.

Finally they arrived as did a reporter from the T&G and a bus load of children going on a field trip!!! Everyone stood around as the hawk was examined. The Wildlife guy was fantastic during the whole thing and told the children that the hawk was a Coopers Hawk and was part of the Accipiter family. He then proceeded to tell them that the injury was probably a result of the Peregrine Falcon going after him (people reported seeing a bird fight), and the end result was this poor hawk crashing into the building. Preservation Worcester and the school have been tracking the Peregrines so I am going to give them my blog url so they can see some pictures of the falcons. Very cool to see young kids into wildlife, especially birds!!

Here is the helpful man checking the hawks vitals.

The hawk is stressed and makes its first eye contact with him.

And the photo that breaks my heart. How stressful for the poor bird. I have yet to call Tufts because I am afraid of bad news. I will call them tomorrow for a status update.

In the meantime I had a chance to check on the falcon during lunch. As you can see it seems unfazed by the whole ordeal. Just another ordinary day in downtown Worcester!! ;o)

Newspaper snipet can be found here. http://www.telegram.com/article/20090417/NEWS/904170289/1116