Bird Cams Around the World

Great news about Jesse from Genoa from the Wildife in Need Center; I am so glad that the imping has been successful! You were quite right, obxbarb - The Raptor Center already has her ready to fly! And thank you for the comment about keeping up with the falcons!

An Update on Jesse and her Detour to Freedom

Today I found a post on a list called Falcon Cam mentioning "Jesse" the Peregrine Falcon and her progress since being rescued (from a probable gunshot wound) from a roadside in Watertown, Wisconsin. She has since, as they noted, and as you read in my previous post, been transferred to the Raptor Center of Minnesota. We received news this week that the imping was successful and that Jesse is again fully flighted! She will remain in the care of the Raptor Center for a few more days until they are certain the procedure is successful and could be coming home to be released very soon.

After her release we will definitely share news of the wonderful event -and hopefully we'll be watching Jesse for many years to come!

The post referred to in the update is my post on the Cleveland forum - pretty much the same info I posted here.

Another photo of Jesse:

Wonderful news--thanks, Alison!

Genoa

Here is Jesse's Dad, Lucas. I was lucky enough to be able to read his bands last year. Raptor Resource didn't even know who the male was at that time. I haven't been able to see his bands this year, but I'm pretty sure he is still the resident tiercel at the nest.

Florida

A juvie peregrine who was very badly injured back in late 2009 is going to become an education bird. It is sad that he/she is not releasable, but I am glad that he was found and cared for, and has managed to recover. Since he is still young, I hope he will make a good adjustment to being an education peregrine.

Where are they now?

Injured falcon to become education bird

In the news: In late January a young peregrine falcon -- not often seen here -- was recovering after nearly dying from major injuries. No one can say exactly how it got hurt, though wildlife experts said it might have crashed into a car or other object in a high-speed dive.

Peregrine falcons, endangered for years by the pesticide DDT, once had few nests east of the Mississippi but now migrate through the state on their way to South America.

Dr. Mark Gendzier, a veterinarian from St. Johns Veterinary Clinic, placed pins in the radius of the bird's left wing and repaired the tibiotarsus in its right leg.

The bird was released to wildlife rehabilitator Melanie Stage of H.A.W.K.E., a nonprofit that cares for injured local wildlife.

Stage did not expect the bird to recover enough to be released into the wild.

What the bird's doing now: Stage said it took six months for the bird, whose name is now Kenya, to totally heal from its injuries.

Stage can't tell yet whether the young bird is male or female.

The pins were removed from its wing and physical therapy helped get its leg working again.

"The leg had to be fused in a comfortable position because it was too bad to be fixed," she said.

Stage said the bird can't fly any more but is in training to be an education bird.

"It wouldn't survive in the wild but it's doing great in captivity," she said.

She said the bird, which gets regular meals of quail, can now sit on a glove or a perch and will soon be making the rounds.

When I read the update on the Florida juvie peregrine which I posted above, the bird seemed very familiar.

Back in November 2009, I had posted about this bird on another forum. Here is the original story. What a beautiful juvie.

Rare bird recuperating from life-saving surgery

Peregrine falcons rare in Florida

By Jennifer Edwards

A young peregrine falcon, which are only rarely seen in Florida, is recuperating after major life-saving surgery.

Staff at St. Johns Veterinary Clinic operated Friday on the bird, which was found injured earlier this week in Volusia County.

Dr. Mark Gendzier, a veterinarian, said pins were placed in the radius in its left wing, and the tibiotarsus in the bird's right leg.

"This bird was in quite good shape for having two fractures," he said. However, the healing rate for fractures in birds is lower than in humans and other animals because avian bones are hollow.

There also isn't much blood supply to bones, which is essential for healing.

Peregrine falcons were endangered for years after wide-spread use of DDT lowered its reproduction rate, and they had few nests east of the Mississippi, according to the Audubon Society. Now, peregrine falcons migrate through Florida on their way to habitat in South America.

The bird, resting on its breast Friday afternoon in an incubator set to 90 degrees, is expected to pull through.

Melanie Cain-Stage of H.A.W.K.E., a wildlife rehabilitator, said the bird probably would not recover enough to be released into the wild.

"Eventually, he'll get the wrappings off and some rehab like physical therapy" and would become an education bird, she said.

Stage said the bird was too young to be reliably identified as male or female because its flight feathers had not yet come in.

In males, "wing feathers are slate blue," she said, while females have brown wing feathers.

If it's a male, she'll name it Ken after longtime friends Ken Pacetti and Ken Moffitt, she said in an e-mail. Pacetti passed away Monday, she said.

In the meantime, she said she'd make up a sling to protect the bird's foot, and would keep it "clean, calm and fed."

That entails administering painkillers and antibiotics, Gendzier said.

And Stage said she'd use calipers to feed the sharp-beaked bird small pieces of quail three times a day.

Photo from the Humane Association of Wildlife Care and Education.

Thanks, Alison! This youngster is a cutie! I didn't know about the difference in color in wing feathers--never heard that before. I also thought the flight feathers had to be present in order for a bird to fly...

You are right, of course, catwoman - there is some misinformation in the article. It is also surprising that they still don't know if this is a male or a female - by now the peregrine will have his/her adult feathers, and it would seem they could tell by size, weight, size of feet and legs, etc.

I hope he/she will have a good life as an education bird.

Great news on Jesse Alison. And cudos for helping the rehabbers connect the dots. Amazing they are releasing Jesse so fast. I remember you identifying Lucas. I'm sure your insights have been very helpful to the mid-west peregrine group.
Its nice to see Peregrines as education birds. They can really capture local attention for wildlife education programs.
Nice catch at Burnsville Nancy!

Genoa

Jesse has been released!

Injured falcon released after one-month of rehab

It's back to the air for a wounded falcon after a month of rehab from a gunshot wound. A peregrine falcon takes flight again, and a special guests is there to greet her. A shopper initially found the injured falcon almost an hour away in Watertown, WI.

The medical staff at the Wildlife In-Need Center who took care of Jessie says without that gesture the bird would have starved. The bird would not have been able to capture food with its injured wing.





I'm so glad a shopper found her and made sure she was cared for. I wonder where they released her - in Minnesota or Wisconsin. I am sure her mate, Polyo, will be very happy to see her.

I think the last story I read said they were sending Jesse home, so they must have released her near her home!

Nice news and interesting link Alison. I was captured by the blog posts on the rehabbed falcon flying through a window. Hopefully they find her....

Malteurop
I knew if I watch enough I'd get someone here

Great catch, Kitten! I had lost the link to this nest since I had to go back to an old drive, & I used to check this nest at least once a day. I didn't ask for the link yet cause I never saw anyone there, but I've bookmarked it now!