Hawk Rescue For Bird Sanctuary

Bobby and Cathy Horvath inspecting the injured hawk Sometimes it's a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Or maybe there is a higher force in play. On Wed July 22, Rob Alvey, founder of the Garden City Bird Sanctuary, was home with a throat infection, when he drove downtown to get a newspaper and stop in at the Post Office. He noticed 2 cars stopped on Rockaway Avenue near the St. Paul's fields and pulled over to offer assistance. One of the drivers was nudging an injured hawk over the to side of the roadway. The driver explained that the large raptor was just standing in the middle of the road and it looked injured.

Rob watched the bird a minute, then got a cloth shopping bag out of his car, placed it over the bird and brought it to his own vehicle. What began as a simple fifteen minute trip became a 2 hour adventure. He called Bobby Horvath, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, and then drove the injured bird out to Wildlife In Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation in North Massapequa. Bobby and Kathy Horvath met him in front of their facility and inspected the hawk. It had been hit by a car, had a bloody eye, some internal damage, but no evident broken bones. It was a young male Red-tailed hawk, probably born this Spring. Cathy Horvath held it while Bobby checked it for injuries, then they brought it inside for x-rays and medication. Bobby explained that it was fortunate the bird was brought in as soon as it was, as every minute delay would bring it closer to an untimely death.

Cathy cradles the red-tailed hawk to keep him calm At this time of year there are a lot of calls for assistance to birds, particularly from people that see a fledgling on the ground and are convinced that it needs help. Most of the time, the bird is fine, and by removing it from its parents, people inadvertently are actually causing the fledgling harm. WINORR, founded by Bobby Horvath, is a nonprofit organization that provides free professional care for injured, sick, or orphaned animals. WINORR is in constant need of supplies for their day-to-day operations. Please support their work! Call WINORR directly at (516) 293-0587. They are located at 202 N Wyoming Avenue, North Massapequa, NY 11578. Supplies needed include bird cages, crates, blankets, baby-wipes, and funds..

Checking for blood in the throat. Note eye injury from car. A follow-up call a few days later revealed that the hawk was doing OK as a patient, eating out of Cathy's hand, and starting to mend. If it fully recovers, it will be brought back to Garden City and released at the Garden City Bird Sanctuary. Bobby was the recipient of the 2009 Garden City Bird Sanctuary's Environmental Stewardship Award. If you are interested in information about when the hawk may be released, call 326-1720 or email gcbirdsanctuary@gmail.com