This immature Ferruginous hawk was brought to us Saturday evening (8/24) from near Ault, CO via our friends at West Ridge Animal Hospital in Greeley, CO. The bird was emaciated, weak and dehydrated, but luckily doesn’t have any obvious serious injuries other than some bruising to its cere. It is possible that this bird was a victim of the severe hailstorm that went through that area on 8/3. That storm produced large hail over a vast area of Northern Colorado. With supportive care and lots of food this bird is perking up and making some good progress.
Ferruginous hawks are the largest of the broad winged soaring hawks found across the West. They are large and aggressive. This can make them difficult to handle and care for while under rehabilitation. It takes staff and volunteers with many years of experience to work with one of these hawks. Although they have a serious potential to cause harm to the people handling them, we look forward to seeing that aggressive Ferrugy attitude when they are in our care. That means they are on their way to release. We are looking forward to seeing that in this bird as it continues to gain strength.
