CORTEZ, Colo. – A longstanding partnership between Colorado Parks and Wildlife and a remarkable veterinarian in southwest Colorado paid off again, this time benefitting one of the world’s most iconic birds of prey.
When an injured peregrine falcon came into Durango Animal Hospital and Dr. Chuck Hawman, a mini-saga soon began. What started in mid-April had a happy ending on July 22 when the falcon soared back into the wild near Cortez.
The peregrine had been found with a broken wing and dislocated hip on the left side of its body near the Mud Springs Trail southwest of Cortez. The man who found it rushed it to Dr. Hawman in Durango, as he has become well known for his willingness to treat injured wildlife.
Dr. Hawman conducted X-Rays that revealed the wing fracture was in the radius bone and was still aligned. The ulna bone, directly next to the radius, stabilized the fracture during healing without intervention. He did need to perform surgery on the hip.
Soon after, the falcon was then sent over Wolf Creek Pass to the San Luis Valley on April 15 where CPW’s Frisco Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is located. The facility is known for its rehab work with orphaned black bear cubs, various raptor species and various other mammals such as badgers, bobcats, fox kits and more.
But when Frisco Creek Facility Manager Michael Sirochman opened the crate, he immediately noticed that the falcon’s hip had once again dislocated.
Unsure if the bird would survive this injury, Sirochman and Hawman met again the next morning, on a Saturday, atop of Wolf Creek Pass to transfer the bird back to Durango Animal Hospital.
While Dr. Hawman is immensely versed in repairing a broken wing; there is no textbook that details how to fix a peregrine falcon with a dislocated hip. This was truly a new endeavor.
“Dr. Hawman was incredibly innovative,” Sirochman said. “He used pins and a hook and held it in place with rubber bands to get the ball to stay in the socket. That gave the ligament time to shorten and heal and for that socket to heal back around the ball.”
The time spent caring for the peregrine was remarkable. After returning to Frisco Creek, the falcon had some well-earned time to rest and recover while being fed a diet of mice and pack rats.
Once it was strong enough, it was transferred to a flight cage to start rebuilding strength. The pins holding the hip joint in place naturally fell out on their own, and the falcon soon began to fly. It proved it could catch live prey on its own and passed all of Sirochman’s requirements of proving it was strong enough to fly and survive on its own in the wild once more.
“It was catching prey and flying beautifully – a really ravenous eater and aggressive killer,” Sirochman said. “It was wonderful to see it go back out successfully after all this time and effort that has gone into it.”
The falcon was transported back to the Cortez area on July 22 and released in the same Bureau of Land Management recreation area where it was originally found injured.
District Wildlife Manager Andy Brown released the falcon alongside the members of the public that originally found the injured raptor and safely transported it to Dr. Hawman.
Brown watched as the peregrine took a low flight and eventually soared into the air. After making a big swoop to the east, the falcon quickly encountered a red-tailed hawk, which chased it off further west into the BLM area where another peregrine had a nest nearby. The falcon perched proudly atop a juniper tree until it regained familiarity with its surroundings and flew off once more.
Peregrine falcons are perhaps the fastest animal on earth, cruising at speeds upwards of 55 miles per hour and reaching speeds of 200 mph when diving.
The Latin name, peregrinus, means “wandering” or “coming from foreign parts.” Peregrines have an extensive range worldwide, occurring on all continents except Antarctica. The American subspecies breeds and nests in Colorado and can be found from the Front Range to the state’s western border.
Peregrine falcons inhabit open spaces usually associated with high cliffs and bluffs overlooking rivers and coasts. Their diet consists of small rodents and small to medium-sized birds. Peregrine falcon pairs may double-team a prey bird, confusing it and making a kill more likely. They often hit them from out of the sun – which makes it easier for the falcons to see and nearly impossible for the prey bird to see them coming.
When falcons strike at great speeds, they may knuckle the prey, stunning it, and then circle rapidly around to catch the falling bird in their talons. It is thought that the series of baffles in a peregrine’s nostrils slow the wind velocity, enabling the bird to breathe while diving after their prey.
Because peregrines dive at their prey, the impact of catching rodents may lead to injuries. Though it is impossible to predict if the rehabilitated peregrine may re-injure the hip in a future hunting endeavor, everyone involved in the bird’s recovery were elated to see it get a second chance after all the effort put into its survival.
“We really want to thank Dr. Hawman for all the work and time he put into this falcon,” Sirochman said. “Durango Animal Hospital continues to be an incredible partner to us, and their entire team has helped make so many wildlife rehabilitation stories a success.”
By John Livingston. John is the Southwest region public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.