If you're a Hawk who's planning to crash into a window, One Police Plaza in Manhattan is not the worst place to do it. Officers from the elite NYPD Special Operations Emergency Service Unit were quickly on the scene April 14 to pick up this juvenile red-tailed hawk, who was stranded on a traffic median by an injured Wing.
At the Wild Bird Fund, our team determined that the hawk, now named Rex, had a fractured ulna in his left wing. They not only splinted the wing, but they gave him a stylish matching splint wrap, which he quickly began to dismantle.
"I know. I'm the big bad man," Det. Joseph Bucchignano told the hawk before he calmly placed his hands around each wing and put the bird in a carrier. He knew to approach from behind, contain the wings and keep those taloned feet under control. His skill was no accident. Last summer, Det. Bucchignano worked with us to organize an animal handling course for his colleagues. A group of ESU officers gathered in our small lobby to learn how to handle raptors, herons and other dangerous birds, with a dual goal: to protect both the birds and the officers.
Director Rita McMahon taught the course, while animal care manager Pepe Hernandez demonstrated. One hapless Canada goose "agreed" to play raptor, and he was picked up, put down, picked up, put down... Suffice to say, this goose did not leave us a great review on Welp* (Wildlife Yelp). Rex has recovered well! To keep the wing from getting stiff, Rita and animal care manager Galicia Outes sedated him and gently exercised his wing — by holding the bone that was fractured so it wouldn't move while flexing the joint to restore the range of motion. He'll need flight conditioning in an outdoor cage before release, and that's where our partners at The Raptor Trust come in.
We are so grateful to the NYPD! They have been our informal partners in wildlife rescue for many years, and we intend to continue these training sessions once the lockdown ends. Our commitment to wildlife does not begin or end at our front door. Whenever possible, we work to protect animals before they reach us. A large part of that work is education — of rescuers, community members and local schoolkids. And how about our incredible Wild Bird Fund team?
