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Sadly, it was too late. “The Christmas Eagle” (so named by BHRC) is yet another in what has become an increasingly long line of raptor deaths that can be avoided if hunters will make one small change.

Many hunters, after they kill an animal, immediately field dress it, then leave the innards out in the open. The gut piles attract eagles and other scavengers, who then feast on the remains. Hunters may believe they’re doing the birds a favor by leaving them food, but nothing could be farther from the truth, for hidden within the innards is a silent killer: lead.

Most hunters use lead shot. When raptors eat the animal remains left behind, they ingest the shot that killed the animal along with the innards. The lead shot breaks down and accumulates in the bird’s body, until the bird becomes very ill and, often, dies.

In the last 24 years, over 500 eagles received at the Raptor Center in Minnesota died due to lead poisoning, and it has been proven that lead… more

Please do not give the bird food or water!

Story via Volunteer Eric Cole and Bridgette McCue:

Bridgette and I were at an Eagle Scout ceremony with Jefferson, our bald eagle, when Bridgette received a call from Lynn regarding a red tail hawk found on Coldwater Road by I69. Kaitlyn and Alex, two new volunteers who are working toward being bird handlers, came along for the rescue. The city Police as well as the caller were on the scene helping divert traffic away from the injured bird. The poor fella was on his feet and alert. I was concerned for his safety because traffic was passing close by and I feared he may get hit again. Twice he rejected my attempts to capture him. The situation was too dangerous to keep chasing him in this manner. I decided to use my shirt as a blanket to try and catch him. Success on the first attempt! I secured our patient in the van, thanked the caller and Police officer, and went back to grab Bridgette and head to the ICU.

Bridgette performed the initial physical. We found no broken… more

We received a call on 9/6/18 about a red tail hawk on the side if the road with obvious injuries.  The bird was found in Beaverdam, Ohio. The person who found the bird graciously offered to bring it to ICU.  An hours drive.

Upon examination it was discovered that this bird had probably been hit by a car. It had active bleeding from its ear and eyelid on the right side. 

Treatment with antibiotics and for probable pain was started. 

The Bird is now ready for RELEASE!

Story via Volunteer Louie Lee:

This morning the Soarin' Hawk call taker contacted Lana, telling her Todd Smith had found a a hawk along I-69, north of US 20. Upon my arrival I found Mr. Smith standing by. The hawk was on the asphalt and appeared to have been hit by a vehicle. Initial assessment  revealed a broken left wing with blood, blood in the mouth and a very aggressive bird. It was difficult to stabilize the injured wing. The bird had a 2 + keel and was transported to the ICU where an intake card was completed and the bird secured. photos are attached.

Intake Number : #12162018RTHA

Story via Volunteer Lynne:

This GHO was found in the middle of the road on a rainy day by Paul David, a cable TV installer, in Cromwell. When he called us, Paul was very upset and worried about her, because she didn't seem to be in very good shape. He was able to move her to the side of the road to get her out of further harm's way, but he just didn't feel right leaving her there while I tried to find a rescuer (he was on the clock and had an install to do), so he wrapped her in his jacket and brought her with him in a box on the front seat of his truck. Meanwhile, I'm trying to find someone to come and get Iris. He called his girlfriend, Christy, who then called me and said she was willing to drive Iris to Fort Wayne, but her daughter had taken their car and wouldn't be back for awhile. She was trying to get a hold of her parents to borrow their car, but they weren't home. We all felt that this GHO needed quick help to survive, and waiting for… more

Story via Volunteer Lynne:

On December 4th I got a call from a woman in Shipshewana, IN, who found a hawk on the ground and assumed that there must be something wrong with it. I asked if the hawk was bleeding, or seemed injured in any way. She said it seemed to walk funny. I told her that hawks are often on the ground and sometimes after they eat they find it difficult to take off and fly. I suggested that she go about her day, and if the bird was still there later that day to call us back. Later that day she called back and said she had spoken to a rehabber in Brown County Indiana, and that the rehabber indicated that something should be done for the bird. I sent Louie Lee, who picked up the bird and took it to ICU.

Intake Number : #12042018RTHA

Story via Volunteer: Lynne

On December 3rd I received a call from Johnna Smith, a rehabber in Jay County Indiana. She had a red tail hawk that she could find nothing wrong with, except that it wouldn't eat, drink or fly. She wanted us to take the bird. She informed me that there is a vet in her area that lives in south FW, and she has in the past brought birds up to south Fort Wayne, and then is met by a volunteer, who then ferries the birds to our ICU. She put me in touch with the vet, and we arranged to have Johnna bring the bird to the vet and then the vet brings it to south Fort Wayne. Since the regular volunteer is unavailable right now, Linda Coblentz agreed to meet the vet and bring the bird to ICU. I'm told the bird has a puncture wound to the abdomen.

Intake Number : #12032018RTHA

Soarin' Hawk recently took in a Sharp-Shinned Hawk, which is very rare for us! This rehab story never made it to the headlines due to the fact that we could not find much wrong with the bird, and it stayed with us for a rather short time; so now you are recieving the story all in one. The bird stayed with us for a little over a week in the ICU, and had the privilege of being released shortly after!

ICU Notes :
11-17-18
This hawk was found down on the ground by a concerned citizen.  He was transported to our treatment and recovery unit where he was found to have flat flies and minor abrasions on his feet.  Upon further examination, we thought that we could feel something abnormal in his shoulder.  He was taken in for radiographs on November 19th and they revealed that everything was normal in the shoulder.  He was a bit thin so we decided to keep him awhile to make sure that he was eating on his own and was gaining weight.  We will never know what happened… more

After 8 months in our care this beautiful barred owl was finally released back into his forever home! Kat Ternet, Soarin’ Hawk’s vet tech, released him. It was her first release ever!

Story Via Volunteer Mary Koher :

This beautiful owl came into us after being struck by a vehicle.  He was found to have flat flies, a broken hallux (toe) on his left foot, some vision issues and a right wing injury in the area of the wrist / elbow.

The vision issues resolved themselves on their own as did the broken hallux.  We continued performing physical therapy on the right wing.  It did not require surgery just therapy to keep it loose. This bird was added to the creance list on October 26th and he was proven to be a strong flyer.  This continued for a few more weeks and he proved that he was ready to go.

Update 11-25-2018

We boxed the owl up and took him to the Gene Stratton Porter State Historical site which is approximately 2 miles from where he was initially found.  He flew off beautifully!

Story via Volunteer Mary Koher:

I received a call from Lynnanne asking if I could meet her in the southwest part of Fort Wayne for a transfer.  We met up and she handed over a very quiet Eastern Screech owl that didn’t have a very good day.  It seems that Duke Energy had contracted with a tree company to take down a few trees around some power lines.  Here this little owl was just sleeping in his cavity when all of a sudden…THUD.   He fell 25 ft down to the ground!  Thankfully the tree service found him and contacted the DNR who in turn contacted Lynnanne.  I got him to our treatment and recovery unit as quick as I could.  Upon examination, he was found to have a fractured left wing at the metacarpals.  The area was cleaned with chlorohexidine and saline.  He was given Meloxicam and Baytril.  We bandaged the wound and then secured it with a body wrap.  We attempted surgery on November 26th but the bones are so small that a pin could not be placed.  We did, however, place a… more

This beautiful baby Great Horned Owl, whoo isn’t a baby anymore has met all of its milestones and was released today (11/15/2018) in Metea County Park.

Intake Number : #05302018GHOW

This immature eagle was successfully released in front of an estimated crowd of between 500 - 800 people. It was a beautiful day and a great tribute to our Veterans’ on this Veteran’s day!

Fly free lady eagle, fly free!

Pictures provided by Mark Penrod, a generous by-stander!

Intake Number: #08172016BAEA

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA21) – An end in the road to recovery, for an injured eagle cared by Soarin’ Hawk Raptor Rehabilitation for two years.

WPTA-21 television coverage

The non-profit plans to celebrate one of their most challenging cases by letting a young bald eagle fly free once again.

In 2016, Indiana Conservation Officer Corporal Josh Kilgore and Soarin’ Hawk volunteer Lynnanne Dennison-Fager found a six-month-old eagle at a high school in Grant County.

The bird had a broken leg and mites chewed through the eagle’s feathers so severely, vets were forced to replace her flight feathers with those from another deceased eagle.

Vet tech Katherine Ternat described the process, “As far as I know, that’s the only one we have ever done. We want to do more – we have the feathers and capability to do it now but its such a huge deal because so many of those feathers were broken and chewed on.”

Volunteer Pam Whitacre told us why its so vital the… more

A young bald eagle that was found two years ago in emaciated condition has been rehabilitated by the northeast Indiana non-profit group Soarin’ Hawk and will be released back into the wild on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. at SalamonieReservoir.
The public is invited to witness the release by Soarin’ Hawk volunteers at Salamonie Beach, 9214 Lost Bridge Road West, Andrews.
The eagle will be released at Salamonie Reservoir because several pairs of eagles are in residence there. After two years of recovery, the goal is for the young raptor to connect with other eagles.
In 2016, the then-six-month-old eagle was found at Madison County High School by Indiana Conservation Officer Cpl. Josh Kilgore and Soarin’ Hawk volunteer Lynnanne Dennison-Fager. The eagle had a broken leg, and mites had chewed the eagle’s feathers so severely it could not fly. Unable to hunt, it was weak and emaciated. 
The injured raptor was brought to Soarin’ Hawk’s facilities in the Fort Wayne… more

Thanks to Conservation Officer Darren Reid for caring enough to stop and
pick up this Red Tail Hawk from the middle of the road and drive it all
the way from South Whitley to Pine Valley Vet Clinic!

Initial exam by out avian veterinarian:  This large Red Tail was very
alert but not standing.  His weight was excellent and he had a very full
crop!  You can see the large bulge on his neck in the xray.  Hawks will
eat a meal very quickly and it is stored in the crop, a dilation of the
esophagus, and then slowly moves down to be digested.  On exam he had a
broken left humerus and blood in his trachea.  The fracture should be
repairable, but we will need to wait a few days until his internal
injuries have had a chance to heal.  This will make his less of an
anesthetic risk.  Thanks to Dr. Scott Taylor of Kendalville Animal
Clinic for being willing to perform this surgery!  Even though he was
not standing he… more

Story via Barb Hathaway :

Good Samaritans and Angels do exist!  One very lucky Red Tailed Hawk, who shall remain nameless, knows that for certain....

On Monday, July 23rd, a kind person came upon a Red Tailed Hawk by the side of the road right here in Fort Wayne.  The bird made no attempt to flee, a red flag that something was terribly wrong.  After a few phone calls the rescuer was told to contact Soarin' Hawk Raptor Rehab.  Upon initial examination of this bird, Dr. Funnell found blood coming from the left ear, a wound over the right eye where flies had already deposited their eggs that turned into maggots.  Flat flies and lice were covering the bird, adding to its misery.  Not knowing how the bird was injured, we could only assume it was a car strike...xrays revealed no broken bones...but this beauty still needed lots of attention and time to heal.

Subcutaneous fluids for re-hydration, pain meds, antibiotics, ivermectin to kill off the parasites that… more

Story via Volunteer : Lynnanne Dennison - Fager

There was a time and place in American history when an open door was an invitation for neighbors to drop in, unannounced. Seated at the kitchen table, the visitors would be served a cup of coffee, perhaps a piece of coffee cake or pie. In today’s world, it’s rare to find an inviting door left open, and more so to have the visitor be covered in feathers. Such was the case when the Miami County Purdue Extension Office propped its kitchen door open and a red-tailed hawk waltzed in for a short, neighborly visit.
Of course, the staff were a bit surprised and tried shooing the bird back outside. That is, until they noticed the bird wasn’t taking flight. Its right wing appeared injured, it was drooping. The staff then moved into quick action, as all good neighbors would do - putting a blanket over the bird to capture, and securing it in a box.
When the conservation officer arrived, the bird was snuggled in, resting. He… more