Kiki, the cooper's hawk, as I found him by the barn.
One evening, Tim and I found an injured Cooper’s Hawk flopping next to the barn. He was nervous at first, but quickly settled down and let me examine him. He was pretty injured: a broken leg and wing. At least the skin was not broken.
Kiki just after I picked him up. Isn't he beautiful?
I was able to splint the leg and bound the wing as best I could. I also called the local wildlife officer to report him. Over the years, he and I have gotten to know each other, so he agreed to allow me to attempt rehabilitation.
Kiki as I begin examining him -- he wasn't too happy.
I named the hawk, Kiki, because that’s what he said. I set up a trapline for mice and pocket gophers. He would naturally eat small mammals and birds (like my sparrow friends). Kiki had a good appetite, which increased his chance of recovery. When my trapline failed, I fed him chicken wings. He also ate a woodpecker and warbler, both of which hit the window and died.
Here he's starting to think I'm not going to eat him and even wondering if I'm here to help.
He spent the first few days in the saw shack (Tim’s workshop), but once his leg started getting stronger, I would carry him outside during the day so he could be in a more familiar (and less boring) environment. He enjoyed watching the other birds. He would see me coming from the house with his lunch and cry out, “Ki ki”.
Kiki all bandaged up with a splint on his leg. He's feeling much better.
Within a week, it became evident that while his leg was healing very well, his wing was not. As the swelling subsided, I could tell that the humorus bone was not in alignment. It was then that I learned about the Medicine River Wildlife Center. So Kiki went off to where his wing could be fixed properly. He’s now waiting for a volunteer veterinarian to perform re-break surgery. Sadly, this could have been avoided if I’d known about the center before.
Kiki enjoying the outdoors while he recovers.
Later, I was able to visit the Center during their open house. While on the tour, as we approached the raptor room, Kiki heard my voice and called out, “Ki ki.” It had been a couple weeks since he’d left the farm, so I was surprised he still recognized me. Due to the number of visitors, Kiki was behind a curtain so he wouldn’t be disturbed. Even though I wasn’t able to see him, it was good to hear his voice again.
Tim and I have adopted Kiki, so we will get reports on his progress.