Rescued Red-Tailed Hawk Returns to the Wild After Severe Injury Left It Unable to Fly

A red-tailed hawk that could not fly after a severe injury has returned to the wild in the United States, thanks to the work of a specialist wildlife organization.

Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, a nonprofit group that protects and conserves native wildlife, said the bird was found this year beside a local road in Berryville, Virginia. It appeared vulnerable and unable to fly, possibly after being hit by a car.

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This bone contributes to flight, and when it fractures, they no longer have the capacity needed in the muscles and tendons to move their wings with enough power and range of motion to fly.

At the organization's wildlife hospital, veterinarians found a severely displaced fracture of the coracoid, a bone in the shoulder girdle that plays a crucial role in flight. The bird also showed signs of trauma. Because of the coracoid's location, such fractures generally cannot be immobilized with a splint. Treatment instead involves restricting movement in a smaller enclosure so the bird does not try to fly and worsen the displacement. Bandages may protect an affected wing if it has dropped out of position.

The center also warned that the tendon passing over the coracoid can slip beyond the bone. That problem may not be easy to feel or visible on X-rays, and a bird might never fly again even if the fracture heals. Flight tests therefore provide the decisive indication of whether the tendon remains correctly positioned. In this case, however, the rehabilitation succeeded and the hawk was released into nature at the end of August.

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In this type of injury, we usually treat the fracture and allow the coracoid to heal, but subsequent flight tests are the real way to evaluate whether the tendon is in the correct position.