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Cops Stop Traffic To Rescue Injured Red-Tailed Hawk
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 28, 2016
Modified Nov 28, 2016
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BMR Breaking News
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 28, 2016
Modified Nov 28, 2016
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An injured red-tailed hawk was rescued yesterday afternoon in the Financial District.
After the FDNY was contacted about the wounded animal, NYPD officers arrived with ESU to "secure the hawk," according to BMR Breaking News. As you can see, police blocked off the street while the hawk lingered by the curb, seemingly oblivious to all the attention.
Then an off duty park ranger arrived to put the hawk into a carrier:
The hawk was taken to NYC Animal Care and Control. The NYPD's press office had no details about the rescue. We've contacted NYCACC for comment on the hawk's status and will update when we find out more.
UPDATE: Katy Hansen, a spokesperson for the Animal Care Centers of NYC, tells us "the hawk went to a rehabber upstate" who works with the non-profit group Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation.
Red-tailed hawks are a common sight in the city, and are currently "flourishing":
[Wildlife wildlife rehabilitator Bob] Horvath’s theory is that their favorite food sources—rats, mice, and pigeons—have increased around the city, igniting a population boom. While country hawks subsist primarily on squirrels and rabbits, the urban birds resort to more vermin-ish fare. “The average Red-tailed Hawk in New York City has never seen or killed a rabbit,” Horvath says. Rats and mice are more prevalent than ever, thanks to an increase in garbage, he posits. The Parks department has recently scaled back its use of rodenticide during the birds’ breeding season, which could also be providing a boost to their numbers.
However, Richard Simon, deputy director for the Urban Park Rangers, told the Audubon Society that the increase in hawks might not be due simply to the abundance of garbage/prey, but park space: "In addition to more green spaces, Simon notes that the quality of the parks has improved in favor of the hawks. The tree canopy is denser than it once was; the water is cleaner. 'They have everything they need for the perfect urban habitat,' he says, though he admits 'the rats certainly help.'"
For those of you lucky enough to have balconies or terraces, maybe one will be your dining companion.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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