Davis Vets Pull Hawk From Car Grille; Bird To Be Set Free

[Donna]

DAVIS, Calif. --


A young red-tailed hawk that was rescued from a car grille will be released into the wild Wednesday.

The driver, whose vehicle struck the bird in rural Yolo County, rushed to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine on Jan. 6 with the hawk still stuck in the car's grille, according to spokeswoman Lynn Narlesky.

Veterinarians said the hawk's head and talons were caught in the grille, and they used a screwdriver on a pocket tool to remove the grille off the vehicle to save the bird.

"A thorough exam found no bones had been broken during the hawk's accident, and its neurological function was good. The hawk did suffer a chest injury, which surgeons repaired the next day," according to a news release from UC Davis.

The hawk has been OK to fly for several days, but veterinarians have held off on releasing the birds because of stormy weather.

[Annette]

Exciting story with happy end for the Red-tailed Hawk.