This is a typical scenario from my rehab classes: You find a RT about 100 yards from a highway with an injured wing and foot. The tail feathers are badly worn and their is a smell of rotting flesh. You are able to identify that it is a male RT with a pronounced keel that weights 650 grams.
Identify the probable cause of injury and the birds furture ability to be rehabilitated.
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."
What's the matter? Nobody gonna take a shot at this one?
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."
Just guessing, but sounds like electrocution caused an eruption or exit point in the flesh thus the smell. The hawk fell to the ground thus the wing or foot injury. Now the hawk is on the ground unable to hunt losing weight thus the keel. The week hawk on the ground thus the tail dragging and dirty damaged feathers.
Can it be rehabilitated to live yes. To be released? Depends on how the patient reponds to treatment. A regimen of antibiotics, keep the wound clean, splint any broken bones. Position any dislocated joints. Whole rodent and bird diet supplamented with vitahawk. Yes I think the redtail could be released given the right amount of medical attention.
What the heck... this isn't for a grade! The condition of the tail feathers would indicate that he has been on the ground for a while, probably unable to fly due to the leg and wing injury. He is definitely malnourished, if not catabolic, because he is unable to catch game, again due to the injuries. The rotting flesh oder is from a necratic wound somewhere on its body. I'm chosing the leg for this exercise. Reasons: He invaded a hen's territory, she kicked his ass. She footed his leg and opened a wound. He broke his wing when he fell to the ground. The smell of rotting flesh would indicate necrosis, so the wound is a week or so old. If the wing is broken it would be difficult to reset by now. Depending on the seriousness of the open wound on his leg, muscle could have atrophied and won't be built back. It may even require grafting. Prognosis for release is very poor. If it lives you have a captive on your hands.
I ruled out Electrocution because the power lines in Mo are built to be safe for raptors. It's unlikely that he got shocked. I know that isn't the case in every state.
Actualy, Bob and Jim, both of you got parts of it right. It is electrocution based on the wing and foot injury together. The tail damage is from being on the ground for some time. The weight is another reminder that he has been grounded for some time. The rotting flesh smell is a tell tale sign of the flesh burned and infected inside the body of a bird that has internal damage from the elctrocution. Prognosis of the bird is grim. After the smell and the low weight there is a very good chance the bird will die from infection and internal organ damage within days. It is a likely candidate for euthanasia.
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."
I did like the whole " Hen kicked his ass" bit though... ;D LMAO
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."
Unfortunately, that's from experience. I think FB had the same problem once upon a time.
They really give Rehab lessons? Wow! I wish that had been available to me in the 70's. As a matter of fact, i think it would come in handy now. If for nothing else, to use as an"Advanced Raptor First Aid" class.
This one isn't for raptors but it's interesting non the less. Scenario: Early spring after a good frost you find a small song bird that is having fits of shaking with leg spasms. It is unable to stand corectly. The bird has blue stains around it's beak. What is the prognosis and what kind of bird is it?
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."
Good try! That's what most of us said at the class. The actual answer is kind of funny, This is typical behavior of the Cedar Wax Wing. It eats berries mainly and after a frost the berries have fermented into an alcohol base. To put it simply, the bird is drunk as a skunk. In a few hours the bird will be fine (maybe hungover) and can be released. This one just caught my mind as weird ;D Our local rehab get LOTS of these in each spring.
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines "Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion................ and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish."