{"id":39016,"date":"2021-02-13T12:31:08","date_gmt":"2021-02-13T17:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/?p=39016"},"modified":"2021-02-13T12:31:08","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T17:31:08","slug":"cortes-island-residents-rescue-red-tailed-hawk-other-wildlife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/cortes-island-residents-rescue-red-tailed-hawk-other-wildlife\/","title":{"rendered":"Cortes Island residents rescue Red-tailed Hawk, other wildlife"},"content":{"rendered":"By Max Thaysen\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAn injured Red-Tailed Hawk<\/a> was recovered and recently released by a local wildlife advocate.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nCortes Currents reached Autumn Barrett-Morgan<\/a> at home, by zoom, for the story.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n
\"The<\/a>

Photos of Red-tailed Hawk courtesy Tamara McPhail, via Autumn Barret-Morgan<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Red-tailed Hawk is found<\/h2>\r\n \r\n\r\nOn January first, 2021, Autumn's neighbours found the red-tailed hawk<\/a> by Gunflint Lake, on Cortes Island <\/a>and they called the Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society (MARS)<\/a>, in Merville BC, for advice. MARS told them to get in touch with their Cortes contact for support \u2013 Autumn Barrett-Morgan \u2013 who happened to live right across the street.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhen Autumn got to the hawk, it was wet and muddy and hungry \u2013 Autumn says one can assess the latter by body language.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThey brought the hawk inside, keeping her safe in a dog crate.\u00a0 Autumn got in touch with MARS for furthur advice.\u00a0 The bird would need to come in to the rescue centre for an evaluation.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAs luck would have it, due to stormy weather the ferries weren't running, so Autumn had to care for her overnight.\u00a0 She says the hawk seemed to enjoy drying herself out by the fire.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe next day, when Autumn got the bird to the MARS recovery centre, the experts there gave her an assessment.\u00a0 She might have needed a bath, but the MARS experts erred on the side of less intervention \u2013 and the hawk was able to clean herself just fine after a solid meal.\u00a0 The bird seemed to just need rest and food.\r\n\r\n \r\n
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\"T=Red-tailed

Photos of Red-tailed Hawk courtesy Tamara McPhail, via Autumn Barret-Morgan<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n

The Red-tailed Hawk is released<\/h2>\r\n \r\n\r\nTwo weeks later MARS said the bird was ready to be released.\u00a0 Autumn brought her back at the end of a weekend of volunteering at MARS, and said that the hawk looked like a brand-new bird.\u00a0 Autumn released the bird in the same spot where it was found.\u00a0 She said, \u201cit was a really, really beautiful experience to see that full circle.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nShe's not too sure what happened to the hawk -- they are a smaller bird, so they can be bullied by larger birds-of-prey, but also a large truck had recently driven by, and the hawk could have gotten struck or tumbled in the air turbulence.\r\n\r\n \r\n

Northern Pygmy Owl<\/h2>\r\n \r\n\r\nAutumn has been building a relationship with MARS ever since she found a northern pygmy owl, with a broken wing \u2013 a species at risk<\/a>.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIt was difficult to get the bird over to MARS \u2013 it was summer, so ferries were overloaded.\u00a0 Autumn helped the owl hitchhike to the centre in Merville.\u00a0 Through the experience, Autumn identified a need for someone to have some skills more locally to fill the gap in emergency care and transportation \u2013 a non-human ambulance service.\u00a0 The transportation is such a stressor for animals \u2013 it really needs to be done by someone with a bit of education and experience and the right temperament.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nMARS had the owl for over three months, but decided that the bird could not be rehabilitated.\u00a0 And it was killed.\u00a0 Unfortunately, MARS does not have the resources to care for animals indefinitely, so animals that cannot eventually care for themselves and be returned to the wild, have to be euthanized.\r\n\r\n \r\n

MARS<\/h2>\r\n \r\n\r\nAutumn has just recently began volunteering for MARS at their rescue centre.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAutumn would like to take the opportunity to encourage folks to learn more about MARS, and participate in their fundraisers \u2013 they'll take your cash, your time, and other stuff too!\u00a0 Autumn is in the\u00a0 process of finding other ways that Cortesians can support MARS.\r\n\r\n \r\n

Do not use Bird feeders<\/h2>\r\n \r\n\r\nAutumn would like the public to know something she learned on her weekend of volunteering. While bird feeders bring many joys to people, they can be problematic for birds \u2013 they can become contaminated if not cleaned properly and regularly, and become breeding grounds for salmonella.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBird feeders can also be bear-feeders \u2013 becoming an attractant that can get bears and people in trouble (it is against the law to provide food to a bear).\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAutumn recommends that people don't have bird feeders.\u00a0 It is better to learn what plants support birds through the winter and consider planting some of those.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAutumn would like the public to know that if you find a distressed or orphaned animal \u2013 leave it, watch it, and call her or MARS.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nContact info:\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAutumn Barrett-Morgan\r\n\r\n \r\n