They released a hawk that they found on the verge of death in the back of a house: how they managed to save it

With the valuable contribution of a

and a specialist from the

the Ituzaingó Environment area managed to free a mixed sparrow hawk chick that had been found in very poor condition in the garden of a house in that district of the western area of ​​Greater Buenos Aires.

The operation was carried out in an area of ​​27 hectares of forest in which a municipal nature reserve will be created, after more than eight months that required a complex process to, first,

of the specimen of Parabuteo Unicinctus, scientific name of the species, and then so that it could be

and not have to live in captivity.

The pigeon had been found on April 28, 2022 by

, a neighbor of

, who promptly notified the Municipality.

The main concern of the lady was that the dogs that she has in her house would hurt the hawk even more.

And she asked them to go look for him.

"He was in the patio of my house, very badly injured in one of his legs and in his wings, something that made it difficult for him to get to his daily food," says the woman.

That premature notice was the first thing that prevented the death of the specimen.

The rehabilitation process was divided into three stages: healing, flight practice and hunting training," explains the experienced bird watcher who treated the hawk chick.

The severity of the bird of prey enabled the Municipal Environment Undersecretariat to activate the necessary procedures to authorize the handling of the specimen and at the same time request its urgent transit to a protective association, biopark or different flora and fauna conservation departments. of the State. 

While these procedures were being carried out, an environmental patrol from the commune arrived at the woman's house.

The specialist in birds of prey Corino Griffino and Rosa, the neighbor of Ituzaingó who found the hawk chick.

Finally, after the first assistance tasks, and left the chick under the care of

, environmental educator and member of the Pecho Colorado Bird Observers Club, a non-profit organization that is in Lujan.

A curious fact: the NGO took charge of the bird just on Animal Day.

A delicate recovery, in three stages

"The rehabilitation process was very extensive, it lasted 9 months and was divided into three major stages:

Everything progressed according to the evolution that the bird was presenting," explains the passionate protectionist, who has worked with birds of prey for more than 20 years, explains:

And he adds, "This

 you have to know how to approach the job and be very well prepared; know the trade well."

The forest where the chick was released, where it is planned to create a Nature Reserve.

In the first stage, as he explains, "the recovery of the wings and legs was prioritized so that it could move on its own."

And he concludes that, "Once the bird is

, you can move on to the next one and start with the practice of flying and finally the

training , which consists of teaching

."

A couple of years ago, Corino says, birds of prey again had a good number of individuals living in cities fulfilling their main function of being great regulators of species such as pigeons, rodents and snakes.

In full flight practice with the young hawk specimen found in Ituzaingó, on Animal Day 2022. .

"Releasing this type of species in this state is not common.

," explains the observer.

The hawks are frequent to see in the cities, as well as other similar species such as caracaras and chimangos.

They are large and robust birds, of the eagle family, and they feed by capturing their prey in mid-flight.

The hawks are usually seen sporadically in urban areas, as is the case with the caracaras and, perhaps much more, with the chimangos.

As the specialists clarify, the presence of these birds of prey

and in turn, their capture, sale or domestication is prohibited.

"From the Municipality we seek to educate people so that we can all together conserve, preserve and increase biodiversity in urban areas," says Débora Guerra, Undersecretary of Environment and Sustainable Development of Ituzaingó.

"In cases like this in particular -he continues-, work is done with

to inform and raise awareness among residents of the importance of living with birds that are commonly found in the city", 

The connection with the trainer -they explain- is essential to train the hawk to hunt.

The place chosen to release the recovered bird is not just anywhere.

It is a natural property located between Avenida Martín Fierro and Camino del Buen Ayre, in the town of Villa Udaondo, a space that is in the process of becoming a nature reserve, for which the Province has already managed a loan from the Inter-American Bank of Development and advances with the bidding for the works.

"

where information is shared on how the relationship between people and nature should be," says Guerra.

The sign in an access to the 27-hectare forest in Villa Udaondo, Ituzaingó.

And he concludes, "It makes this strengthen the biodiversity that has to be present in cities and that

it gives shelter and shelter to these animals and food with this green infrastructure."

What to do when you find a chick

In case of finding an injured pigeon or simply fallen from the nest, from the Commune they suggest

, safe from dogs and cats.

Something important: contrary to what most might believe, you do not have to feed them or give them water.

Also.

If you notice that the specimen is injured, it is important to contact the

as soon as possible from

p.m. at

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