Thelonius Hawk

Winter is hawk rescue season in NYC as many of the first year birds get into trouble. Whether its starvation, parasites or secondary poisoning, hawk rehabbers are admitting about 1 hawk a day from around the 5 boros. This guy was trapped in Thelonius Monk Circle on West End and 63rd St. It has an injury to its right wing and could barely fly--possibly from chasing prey--and rat bites on its feet. The Park there is heavily infested with rats and many hawks die due to secondary poisoning--in other words injesting a poisoned rat. Rather than controlling rats by restricting their food sources or using other methods such as live traps and CO2, the City has gone all in with poison, thus condemning many birds of prey to agonizing deaths. If you see a sick or injured hawk, please contact the Audubon Society who will dispatch a wildlife rescue voluteer. The animal was brought to Animal Medical Center on 62nd and York for evaluation and will be rehabbed by WINORR. All of these organizations are non-profit so please feel free to donate to them...it will go to a great cause! Thanks to Fabian the doorman for the pix!