Wildlife Rescue: A Red Tail Hawk's Injured Eye

Releasable or Not

Red Tail Hawk with an eye injury at the FlyAway Bird Rescue facility in Silver Springs, Nevada.Photo byH. Mikel Feilen

Each Spring the number of wild birds emitted to FlyAway Bird Rescue in Silver Springs, Nevada, increases. This year, Suzette Feilen, founder of the facility said that the season came early. In a few short weeks, she said she had more than 20 baby Barn Owls, a Pelican, a seagull, 4 Kestrel Falcons, a Cooper's Hawk, 3 Red Tail Hawks, plus a slew of songbirds.

Cooper's HawkPhoto bybirds-of-prey.org

In total, she is now caring for more than 100 birds. She said she received 17 new birds from 17 different people in one day alone. Suzette says from the moment she is awakened by a phone call at the crack of dawn till she goes to bed - again at the crack of dawn - she is either feeding, cleaning cages, or medicating and mending sick and injured birds.

The Red Tail above with the damaged eye came in just the other day. I asked her if it was releasable. She said that when her wildlife veterinarian, Patti Handle DVM, examined the eye it was not internally damaged.

"With good care and proper medication, it should heal," Suzette said. "In the 34 years of doing this, I've seen worse cases make it but it takes a lot of attention. Some of the others with torn wings, or spinal damage from flying into windows are usually more serious and extremely difficult to fix."

Suzette giving a Night Heron medication.Photo byH. Mikel Feilen

My house is like an Emergency Room at a hospital. The only difference is I am the only doctor, nurse, and receptionist.

References:

Suzette Feilen - Wildlife biologist and Founder of FlyAway Bird Rescue

Patti Handle DVM - Wildlife Veterinarian for Nevada