HARD HIT: Having hit a window hard, this sharp-shinned hawk suffered both a concussion and a fractured collarbone in Van Anda on Texada Island. He was easily caught by people who saw the collision and sent off to Powell River Orphaned Wildlife Society (PROWLS), where he soon received an anti-inflammatory drug, was placed in low light and kept quiet. After three days, he was standing and eating, although weak.
Now placed in a travel cage he was sent by Pacific Coastal Airlines to Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilition Society (OWL) in Delta. There he was treated for his injuries and gradually moved to larger and larger cages as his shoulder healed. This took more than a month and a half for him to fully recover. Once back in Powell River, he was returned to Van Anda, where he rocketed out of the kennel to freedom.
Songbirds make up about 90 per cent of the sharp-shinned hawk’s diet. Pursuit hunters often surprise their prey on the wing by bursting out from a hidden perch with a rush of speed. They make great use of cover and stealth to get close to their prey, surprising it at close range rather than diving from great heights. During their breeding season, sharp-shinned hawks are quiet, elusive and nest in solitary pairs under the deep forest cover, possibly to avoid being caught by the similar but much larger northern goshawk.
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