Photo by Steven
Christo on the prowl in Tompkins Square Park late this afternoon...
Such a sweet face on this juvenile red-tailed hawk, who was rescued in Tompkins Square Park earlier this week (thank you, Ranger Rob and Urban Park Rangers!) ... this young bird was lethargic, unafraid of people, and thin. He hadn't eaten in a while and has a poor body condition and weak grip, so something has been off with this one for some time, either because of illness, a window collision, or both.
We treated him for potential rodenticide poisoning and common bacterial infections, and we're caring for his swollen eye. He's a bit stronger and taking food well, so we hope to see continued improvement for this handsome youngster, named Currant.
Goggla has more about the dangers of using rodenticide (Tompkins Square Park does NOT use it, though plenty of other people do in the city) at this link.
As the fledglings are out and about now, this is a good time to remind everyone to take care when watching them — give them a lot of space as they learn to fly and hunt. If they are on the ground, please keep dogs away and let them do their thing. It's normal for them to be on the ground eating or playing. If you have reason to believe they are in distress, call 311 and ask for the Urban Park Rangers.