Overland Park officer rushed to save dying hawk after unusual call. What happened
An Overland Park animal control officer sprung into action Wednesday after a caller reported an unusual situation in their backyard.
When officers arrived, they found a red-tailed hawk with unknown injuries. According to a police spokesman, Officer Jillian Sundberg was able to safely contain the hawk and transport it to Operation Wildlife for further care.
Operation Wildlife, located in Linwood, Kansas, provides rehabilitation and veterinary services to injured and orphaned wild animals in the Kansas City metro and surrounding area.
Overland Park police was notified Thursday that, after receiving some treatment, the hawk died from complications of avian influenza.
Despite the bird’s passing, Officer John Lacy, a spokesman for the police department, praised the quick actions of officer Sundberg and other animal control officers. Their quick actions may have given the hawk a chance at survival, he said.
“A family called about a hawk they saw in their backyard, they knew something was wrong with it, and it couldn’t fly,” Lacy said in a phone call. “Their main concern was that something was going to happen to it.”
“If there’s a chance that we can save any kind of wildlife, any kind of animal, we’re definitely going to respond,” Lacy said.
In an email Thursday, Sundberg said Overland Park has a large red-tailed hawk population and has received similar calls in the past.
“Aside from it having the avian flu, which we have not really seen in birds of prey (only water fowl) until now, that’s the only thing different about this one,” Sundberg said.
How to spot a red-tailed hawk
Red-tailed hawks are one of the most common hawks you can find in North America, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
They can be identified by their broad, rounded wings and short tail. Those hoping to spot one in the wild should look out for dark lines on the edge of their wings, according to Cornell Lab.
Across most of the continent, red-tailed hawks are more numerous in winter. While they can be found in Kansas and Missouri year-round, more frequent sightings are possible in the colder months, according to the Cornell Lab.
The birds are also known for their thrilling, raspy scream that Hollywood directors often use in films to emulate any hawk, and even raptors, according to Cornell.
Red-tailed hawks are not often found in people’s backyards or near feeders, since they mostly eat mammals, researchers say.
According to Cornell researchers, red-tailed hawks have been seen hunting as a pair, guarding opposite sides of the same tree to catch squirrels.
