1. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF A RAPTOR FLIES INSIDE A BUILDING?
a. If you are within our action area, please contact us for help. If you are outside the S.F.Bay Area, contact your local animal control agency.
b. Please do not chase the raptor around in an effort to drive it outside. This usually doesn't work, and only serves to stress the bird and deplete its energy reserves.
c. If possible, open exterior windows and doors, especially if there are large roll-up doors or high windows. There is a chance the raptor may find its own way outside.
d. If the bird finds a perch and repeatedly returns to it, try to decrease human activity and noise in the vicinity. If there is a safe place on the ground to do so, please place a shallow pan of water there. DO NOT try to feed the bird.
e. If possible, cover or shade fixed windows and skylights. The bird's tendency is to fly toward natural light. Collisions with glazing can be injurious or fatal.
2. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I FIND A DOWNED RAPTOR THAT DOESN'T FLY AWAY WHEN APPROACHED?
A hawk that is grounded is in serious trouble and probably suffering from trauma or disease.
a. Call your local animal control agency. They will probably be able to secure a bird that does not fly. Please try, and ask others as well, to be quiet in the vicinity of the bird, avoid quick movements, and remain outside the radius that causes the bird distress. Ten feet is usually a good minimum distance.
b. While waiting for help, judge what is required to keep the raptor safe from predators, such as dogs, cats, or other birds of prey, and from pedestrians and vehicles.
c. Move the bird only if absolutely necessary to keep it safe. Moving a raptor with a broken wing, leg, or head injury could exacerbate the problem, and trying to handle a bird without proper instructions could result in injury to the bird and to you. Their beaks and talons are strong and sharp. Please phone us for guidance if the bird is downed in a dangerous locale. 415/810-5116
3. HOW AND WHY DO HAWKS END UP INSIDE BUILDINGS?
The most frequent incidents of this occur when a hawk chases smaller birds that it preys upon through the opening of a building, often a large loading door or wide entrance. Once inside, the disoriented raptor may try to fly upward to get outside, or to escape humans, and then cannot find the original point of entry. Many of the buildings where this occurs are industrial or large commercial spaces with high ceilings, often with exposed structural members that make good perches for the raptor.
4. HOW DO YOU CATCH A FLIGHTED RAPTOR?
We use techniques and equipment that are effective and totally safe for the birds. We do not describe the details of capture techniques on public fora because doing so could negatively affect the safety and well-being of wild raptors.
5. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU CATCH THE HAWK?
The safety and well-being of the raptor are our highest priority. Upon capture, we immediately assess the health of the bird, check for any injuries, and determine if it is diseased, emaciated, or dehydrated. If the bird is in good condition, we want to restore a healthy bird to its life in the wild as quickly as possible, and will release the bird outdoors near where it was captured.
If the bird is injured, ill, dehydrated or starving, we will transport it to the nearest authorized wildlife rehabilitation facility for treatment to give it the best chance of recovery and eventual restoration to the wild.