(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – The prognosis has dramatically improved for a young red-tailed hawk that was found blind and in distress along Aurora’s downtown riverfront last week.
An animal control officer was sent to check on the bird of prey Jan. 25 when it was observed perched on the Downer Street Bridge, city officials reported late last week. The red-tailed hawk flew away but returned to its original position, and the officer was able to take the bird and transport it to Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn to get checked out.
Initially, a representative of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County was guarded about the hawk’s prospects because it appeared disoriented and blind.
Good news emerged Wednesday, though, when the wildlife center’s head veterinarian, Sarah Reich, said in an email that the red-tailed hawk had made a “miraculous recovery.” The bird appeared to be visual and "very active," and X-rays did not identify any problems, Reich said.
Animal rehabilitators expected to transfer the bird to an outdoor flight cage later this week, a crucial step toward getting the hawk back into the wild.
Officials weren’t sure what gender the bird is because males and females look the same, with females larger, and tests have not been conducted. Reich said she was leaning toward female because of the size of the juvenile bird.
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