20180711-American Kestrel - 1

This little kestrel came to us as an orphan.  She was found on the homeowners’ property in LaGrange County, IN.  We couldn’t find a nest or any parents in the area, so she was brought back to our facility and placed in a mew with several other orphaned kestrels.  Eventually all of the orphans were taken to one of our partner rehabbers, where they were placed into a bigger mew in which they could fly and exercise their wings for most of the summer.  They were then brought back one by one to our facility where they were isolated and fed live prey.  If they could catch the live prey two days in a row, we know they can hunt.  This little gal met that milestone and was released in a nearby park in Fort Wayne, IN on September 13th.