Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh 2015

[jeanne]

Oh Silver!!!  Could he be any cuter?   

[MAK]

Oh Silver!!!  Could he be any cuter?   
Sooo cute! 

[Donna]

Peregrine Update: It's a boy! X-ray reports have revealed that the falcon is a male. We have also received the results from initial blood tests which have all been normal. We are still waiting for the reports from the lead test, but the bird is gaining weight & his flight feathers continue to grow. We will continue to provide public updates on the peregrine as soon as new information develops, but are unable to respond to individual inquiries about this patient.

https://www.facebook.com/animalrescuelg Video of Silver, the boy!!    he has such a darling face!! I bet he misses his momma!!

[AlisonL]

Peregrine Update: It's a boy! X-ray reports have revealed that the falcon is a male. We have also received the results from initial blood tests which have all been normal. We are still waiting for the reports from the lead test, but the bird is gaining weight & his flight feathers continue to grow. We will continue to provide public updates on the peregrine as soon as new information develops, but are unable to respond to individual inquiries about this patient.

https://www.facebook.com/animalrescuelg Video of Silver, the boy!!    he has such a darling face!! I bet he misses his momma!!

Thank you so much for the update, Donna! I always thought Silver was male. The test results are encouraging, as is the fact that his feathers are continuing to come in and he is gaining weight. I wonder if they have considered testing for insecticides, pesticides or herbicides, all of which can cause seizures.

Little Silver is absolutely beautiful. I am sure he misses his Mom, and that she misses him. Dorothy did such an incredible job of caring for him every minute of every day.

I think he looks a little more settled and less scared than when he first arrived at the facility. And in the video he is balancing well on one foot.

[Kris G.]

Peregrine Update: It's a boy! X-ray reports have revealed that the falcon is a male. We have also received the results from initial blood tests which have all been normal. We are still waiting for the reports from the lead test, but the bird is gaining weight & his flight feathers continue to grow. We will continue to provide public updates on the peregrine as soon as new information develops, but are unable to respond to individual inquiries about this patient.

https://www.facebook.com/animalrescuelg Video of Silver, the boy!!    he has such a darling face!! I bet he misses his momma!!

Thank you so much for the update, Donna! I always thought Silver was male. The test results are encouraging, as is the fact that his feathers are continuing to come in and he is gaining weight. I wonder if they have considered testing for insecticides, pesticides or herbicides, all of which can cause seizures.

Little Silver is absolutely beautiful. I am sure he misses his Mom, and that she misses him. Dorothy did such an incredible job of caring for him every minute of every day.

I think he looks a little more settled and less scared than when he first arrived at the facility. And in the video he is balancing well on one foot.

How cute he is and Beauty has another brother! When he was on his back all those times, flailing his legs in the air, people were calling it seizures but it wasn't. He was simply trying to right himself and get off his back.  To my knowledge, he never fell over onto his back again once he was treated for all the blood-sucking parasites. Their concern was he has "neurological issues", weakness in the left leg/foot, so he was going to be seen by a specialized avian vet to see if it could be determined what the problem is but I've never read how that exam went.

[patsy6]

Beauty's little bro is just adorable!'

[Dumpsterkitty]

  There's a part of me, after all the losses this year, that wants them to keep him as an education bird...don't tell anyone... 

[Kris G.]

There's a part of me, after all the losses this year, that wants them to keep him as an education bird...don't tell anyone... 

I totally agree..and an adorable ambassador at that!   

[MAK]

 

[Kris G.]

From the University of Pittsburgh Times:

JULY 9, 2015
CL chick moved to wildlife center

The CL peregrine chick is being cared for at the wildlife center.

The peregrine falcon chick that hatched this spring from the Cathedral of Learning nest is displaying neurological deficits and receiving “supportive care� at the Animal Rescue League Wildlife Center & Shelter, where it will remain indefinitely.

Center director Jill M. Argall said the bird is being given “every possible chance� to be released to the wild, but no decisions have been made. “We’re considering it a long-term rehab patient until it proves otherwise,� she said.

A game commission officer brought the peregrine fledgling to the wildlife rehab center on June 25 after it was found outside Hillman Library. “When it arrived it was emaciated and dehydrated,� Argall said. It was missing some secondary and covert feathers, which affected its ability to fly.

Those feathers have since begun to grow in, she said. Of greater concern, however, is its lack of beak-eye coordination. A veterinary exam revealed no apparent visual impairment, but the bird “misses� when it reaches for food, she said. “If it were in the wild now, it would not survive.�

An exam when the bird was banded in May found some weakness in one of the bird’s feet (see June 11 University Times). Argall said that although the bird is perching, the foot remains weak, which could interfere with its ability to live in the wild. Because peregrines hunt by catching small birds in flight, “they need both sets of talons,� Argall said.

The chick’s neurological deficits are suspected to have a developmental cause, but the center is awaiting the results of blood tests for toxins such as lead. A chemical cause isn’t suspected, “but we’re covering all bases,� she said.

For now, the bird is being hand-fed and living in a large indoor enclosure. Argall said the approach to its care is “wait and see, day by day.� As the bird progresses, it will be offered larger chunks of food or given the opportunity to feed itself, she said. “We’re letting the bird show us what it can do.�

Argall said the center has received requests from people wanting to visit the bird, but the facility isn’t open to visitors. Those interested in the bird’s progress can find updates on the peregrine by “liking� the Animal Rescue League Center & Shelter Facebook page.

—Kimberly K. Barlow 

[MAK]

Thanks for posting the update Kris! 

[Donna]

Sad news about Silver. Find the silver lining, he'd never have lived this long in the wild. The first jump from the cliff would have left him vulnerable to predation.

Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center
Peregrine Update: It is with heavy hearts that we must share the news of the passing of the Peregrine Falcon we accepted from the Cathedral of Learning. After weeks with little change to its status, the bird experienced a sudden drop in weight - despite routine hand feedings & daily weight monitoring. After discovering signs of a respiratory illness on Saturday morning, a staff member rushed the falcon to an emergency clinic in Cleveland to see avian specialist Dr. Jamie Lindstrom. Dr. Lindstrom is renowned for his knowledge & experience with wild birds, having authored numerous academic articles & speeches, as well as serving in leadership roles in several avian organizations. While receiving top-notch care at the hospital, the falcon passed away. Dr. Lindstrom felt strongly that the illness was linked to the animal being developmentally delayed, immunosuppressed, & a failure to thrive & diagnosed him with a chronic pulmonary obstructive disease. Unfortunately, there was nothing further that any of the doctors could do. The staff of the Animal Rescue League thank you for your support & well wishes throughout this process. May the Peregrine's spirit fly, free of the burdens that plagued him during his short life.


OH that poor baby!! Fly Free little Silver, you gave it your best!!!   

[carly]

 

[patsy6]

I was just about to post this, Donna.  You beat me by a split second.  What a great effort by Silver, Dorothy, E2 and all the people who watched over him, rescued him and cared for him.  

[Dot_Forrester]

Very sad but not entirely unexpected. Dorothy may be old but she did an excellent job caring for this chick. I feel bad for them all. Silver would never have developed normally despite all the care he received from his parents and rehabbers, so I'm relieved that he is no longer suffering.

Dot in PA