This is no pigeon! Peregrine falcon shows up on sidewalks of New York

[Donna]

New Yorkers, used to sharing their sidewalks with grumpy pigeons, got a shock Wednesday afternoon when an injured peregrine falcon showed up on Second Ave. just south of 42nd St.

Members of the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit took the majestic bird, whose gender was not immediately identified, to the Wild Bird Fund.

“It’s a young falcon, and it has a fracture on its left wing,� said Zhong Huang, a staffer at the wildlife rescue center. “We’re putting him on fluids and taking an X-ray.�

Falcons nest high on skyscrapers and bridges in urban areas.



Daily News

[MAK]

New Yorkers, used to sharing their sidewalks with grumpy pigeons, got a shock Wednesday afternoon when an injured peregrine falcon showed up on Second Ave. just south of 42nd St.

Members of the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit took the majestic bird, whose gender was not immediately identified, to the Wild Bird Fund.

“It’s a young falcon, and it has a fracture on its left wing,� said Zhong Huang, a staffer at the wildlife rescue center. “We’re putting him on fluids and taking an X-ray.�

Falcons nest high on skyscrapers and bridges in urban areas.



Daily News

Aww,poor little one! 

[Bonnie]

I just got this from the Hudson River Almanac.  Thought the bird had to be from MetLife or Hospital for Special Surgery.

8/1 - Manhattan, HRM 4.0: As a friend and I walked down Second Avenue in mid-afternoon at the southeast corner of 42nd Street, we saw what we assumed was our neighborhood red-tailed hawk but later discovered was a young peregrine falcon. It sat motionless in the street, dazed and clearly injured as it could fly only in short spurts, almost haltingly. We and others stopped traffic and by moving slowly toward it, got the bird onto the sidewalk. We tried to stop pedestrians from walking past too closely because clearly that was unnecessarily frightening the bird. A bystander called the Wild Bird Fund and, after a while, two police officers arrived. We finally left, but not until there were enough caring people indicating a willingness to stay until help arrived.
     - David Finkelstein, Evelyn Letfuss
 
[This young peregrine, one of three from this year's nest on the Met Life Building,had been on the wing for almost a month and a half before ending up on 42nd Street. After being picked up by the New York Police Department that afternoon, she was taken to The Wild Bird Fund, a new Manhattan rehabilitation facility. On 8/3 she was transported to The Raptor Trust in Millington, NJ, for further examination and treatment. I'm pleased to report she is currently on the mend. The Raptor Trust's vet reports that she has a fracture on the left wing (which he says should heal fine), as well as a slipped tendon in her left ankle (which will be fixed surgically). Her prognosis is good for a full recovery and release at some point in the future. Barbara Saunders, NYSDEC Region 2/Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources.]
 
[Peregrines pursue avian prey in flight, tricky business at best and even more so in the tight quarters of Manhattan’s "canyons." In addition to learning to master their hunting skills, young falcons need some sheer good luck to survive - hopefully this bird will prosper thanks to many helping hands. Steve Stanne.]

[Donna]

Gee Bonnie, so this is her? We were talking about it on the way down. Glad she will be OK. Thanks!!