[Bristol-Birds] troubled raptor was no eagle -- a dying Red-tail
- From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 6 Mar 2013 20:08:54 -0500
Following a couple of days of
excitement, a downed bird that
residents of the Avens Bridge
area of South Holston Lake
thought was an immature
Bald Eagle, was recovered
dead today (6 Mar 2013).
It was an immature Red-tailed
Hawk in its second calendar year
of life. Many of this age do not
survive their first winter.
The bird was frequenting one
of the residential yards along
the lake shore and an organized
effort to capture it at nightfall
failed when it disappeared while
area birders and a wildlife
official were enroute with needed
equipment. It could not be found
after dark.
The rescue concluded Wednesday morning when it was found dead in the snow
about 10 feet from where it was last seen Tuesday.
The bird appeared to have little fat and a palpable keel. It seemed to be
emaciated.
In this weakened state, it probably was dying and no amount of rehab would have
saved it overnight. There was no outward sign of injury or obvious disease.
Since
Monday, it made short flights to close trees but mostly stayed near or on the
ground.
The dilemma was not made known to rescuers until just before sunset Tuesday.
When seen closely, it was obviously too small for
an eagle and lacked the identifying characteristics.
It had the appropriate tail markings of a second-year
Red-tailed Hawk. To some degree, an advanced
second-year Bald Eagle could show some breast
banding suggestive of a Red-tail.
However, the two species are no where near
similar enough to be confused.
It was a good effort in a last-minute recovery exercise,
responding with all the appropriate equipment and
under difficult conditions to rescue a troubled bird of
prey. --- Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
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