Unfortunately we sometimes have bad news to report - such as the loss of a Peregrine. You expect this from time to time as old age or inexperience can take a bird. As hard as it is to see territorial fights, it is actually a good sign that the Peregrine population is recovered enough to have individuals fighting over a ledge.
But when you lose a bird to indiscriminate shooting, the loss is both meaningless and personal.
On March 3rd, a winter resident Peregrine was found injured on the northwest side of Chicago. She was taken to Willowbrook Wildlife Center where X-rays revealed she had a severe compound fracture of her elbow, a dislocated humerus, and pellet lodged in her shoulder. All on her right side.
Soara was a two year old Peregrine that fledged from a nest in Fort Wayne Indiana in 2013. Since this past December, she has been hanging out in Chicago. Though Soara’s injury was traumatic enough to the point where she would not be releasable, we had still hoped she would survive to become an education bird.
We may never find out who shot Soara (who ultimately died from her wounds), but we can remind the public that shooting Peregrines and other hawks is illegal. More importantly, please report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, any abuse of wildlife that you may have knowledge about.
From FB
