When the Land Trust’s stewardship associate Gabriel Juarez saw the red-tailed hawk at Ochoco Preserve, he immediately knew something was wrong.

The hawk looked injured and after unsuccessfully trying to fly away, collapsed from exhaustion. Realizing that the hawk needed help, Gabriel brought the hawk to the house of stewardship manager Jen Zalewski. The next day, Jen delivered the injured hawk to wildlife hospital Think Wild. During the intake process, it was noted that the hawk was dehydrated, underweight, and showing signs of trauma. This included bruising along the body and damage to the iris and lens of its left eye. Luckily, there was no retinal damage, which means the hawk still had working vision.

Under Think Wild’s care, the fledgling hawk (which hatched earlier this year) was given anti-inflammatory medications, eye drops, fluids, and a specialized diet. Around the same time that Gabriel rescued this hawk, another juvenile red-tailed hawk was admitted to Think Wild in a similar condition. After both became medically stable, these two hawks were housed together to promote social interactions and natural behaviors.

A few weeks after intake, the hawk was ready for final assessments. A key milestone to determine whether the red-tailed hawk was ready for release was confirming their ability to catch and consume live mice without assistance. Once they passed this and other final assessments, both hawks were considered fully rehabilitated.

On July 21, the two hawks were released together at the Crooked River Wetlands Complex in Prineville, directly across from Ochoco Preserve. We’re grateful not only to Think Wild for their great work rehabilitating the hawk, but also to Gabriel for seeing the injured hawk and moving into action to help it. It’s our full community that helps ensure that wildlife thrive in Central Oregon!