Staff at the Wildlife Center of Virginia are caring for the falcon and will determine if she is releasable after her injuries heal. (PHOTO: Wildlife Center of Va.)
Two days after leaving their roost, one of the falcons flew into a building, damaging her left eye and beak. The bird was rescued and taken to a local vet before being transported to the Wildlife Center of Virginia the next morning.
Dr. Rich Sim, the Center’s veterinary fellow, examined the bird when she arrived and saw there was bleeding and inflammation to the female falcon's eye, as well as a fractured beak.
After radiographs, Dr. Sim did find a ruptured air sac, though he thinks the rupture should heal within a matter of days. The bone of the beak appears to be unharmed and should grow back over the next two to three months.
Check-ups continue to be done on the bird, and its condition improved over the weekend. Yet there is still blood in the bird's eye, though the inflammation has improved.
The bird is bright and alert, and hasn’t totally adapted to its new diet yet. The Wildlife Center is providing chopped mice and chicks.
Due to the bird’s beak injury she is being fed smaller pieces.
If the bird's vision is compromised by the sustained injuries, she will not be released back into the wild.
