Raptor Center warns that birds are getting caught in soccer nets, fencing

The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota is asking residents and municipalities to take down any netting they have on their property when not in use, as it's presenting a hazard for the state's birds of prey.

The center posted to Facebook earlier this month that it has received numerous reports of raptors being tangled up in netting, typically from soccer goals.

"Netting, like that used for soccer goals, and certain types of fencing have proven to be a formidable opponent of our raptors," the post read. "Raptors may see a tasty critter on the other side of the netting and fly right into it while trying to catch their prey. Surprisingly, birds that sustain injuries from being entangled in netting can be some of the most difficult to treat."

The netting often gets wrapped tightly around a bird’s wings and sometimes its legs while it struggles to free itself for hours. This trauma to the wings usually cuts off blood flow, and while there may not be apparent injuries at first, this has the potential for causing tissue to die off.

On Thursday, the center posted an update asking the community to continue being aware of the risks of abandoned netting, saying this week alone it has admitted five raptors to its hospital as a result of soccer net entanglements.

"With entanglement admissions being higher than usual this year, we want to continue to encourage the practice of taking down nets when not in use," the update reads. "There are many ways our human-centric world disrupts and causes injury to our feathered friends. Small acts can make a huge difference."

Related: The Raptor Center mourns one of their oldest great horned owls