Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Red-tailed hawk injured in collision at Lake in the Hills Airport (3CK) released (with video)

RINGWOOD – The red-tailed hawk swooped up from Beth Gunderson's arm but didn't go far.

It hopped from tree to tree, branch to branch, likely figuring out where it was and with a mouse for breakfast, in no great hurry to move on.

The hawk was on its own for the first time since colliding with an airplane at the Lake in the Hills Airport on Aug. 26, McHenry County Conservation District spokeswoman Wendy Kummerer said.

About 11,000 collisions involving animals were reported at 650 airports in 2013, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The vast majority of these involved birds.

The district's Wildlife Resource Center had cared for the bird while it healed from a fractured left wing and injured toes, and after a 14-week recovery period, the staff confirmed that it could hunt on its own and was ready to be released into Glacial Park.

The hawk — an immature male born this past spring but no longer reliant on its parents — isn't likely to stay in the park because other hawks live in there, Wildlife Resource Center Manager Sara Denham said.

"He's out where he should be so that's a good thing," she said.

"We're always happy when they can go back to the wild," said Beth Gunderson, Wildlife Resource Center specialist.

The Wildlife Resource Center, which is near Wonder Lake, runs a very small rehabilitation program, emphasizing species of conservation concern and sometimes birds since permits to work with birds aren't as common among rehabilitators, Gunderson said.
 
The staff also works a lot with turtles, in particular Blanding's turtle, an endangered species in Illinois.

The Wildlife Resource Center applied last month for a $2,500 grant that would cover the installation of a secure outdoor enclosure for its Blanding's turtle head-starting program.
 
The conservation district began the program in 1993, collecting and incubating eggs and then raising the hatchlings before releasing them in an effort to increase their numbers, according to district documents.

Aside from turtles and permanently injured birds, the staff is also caring for a bluebird with a broken wing.

"It would be ideal if we never saw an injured animal," Denham said. "We would much rather they be out where they belong."

To keep the number of injured animals down, Denham and Gunderson recommended property owners keep their cats indoors, make sure there aren't holes in their roofs and don't feed wild animals.

More tips are available on the McHenry County Conservation District's website, MCCDistrict.org, and questions on what do about an animal that is suspected to be injured can be directed to the Wildlife Resource Center at 815-728-8307.

Story, photo gallery and video: http://www.nwherald.com

 
(Sarah Nader) 
A red-tailed hawk flies to a nearby tree after being released at Glacial Park in Ringwood Wednesday, December 3, 2014. The hawk was recovering from a fractured left wing and injured toes after colliding with an airplane at the Lake in the Hills Airport in August. The hawk was born in the spring and so hasn't grown its red feathers yet.

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