The sharp eyes and compassionate hearts of an Upper Arlington couple saved a Red-tailed Hawk this summer with some assistance from veteran wildlife rescuer Dave Wood.
Wood, who volunteers with the Wildlife Center’s real-time rescue team, was on the scene shortly after being notified the distressed raptor was grounded in the backyard of Linda and Mike Stickney, whose property is bordered by a golf course. Raptor rescues are always a challenge, according to Wood, who has logged dozens of rescues during his volunteer service with Ohio Wildlife Center.
“When I first arrived, the hawk was about five feet off the ground in an evergreen shrub,” Wood said. “My first concern was that it might move higher in the shrub and be out of reach. When I was positioning the net above the hawk to prevent it from moving higher, it went through the shrub and came through the other side,” he said.
With a goal to always minimize stress for the injured animal and anticipate what moves might be next, Wood said he expected the hawk to move toward the open area of the golf course, which it did. “I approached slowly, trying not to startle it, and it made its move,” he said. “Since the hawk did what I expected, it was a fairly quick rescue to minimize stress to the bird,” he said.
The hawk was a young juvenile that had a notable wing drop that appeared to prevent it from flying. The Stickneys first noticed it in the yard and could tell it was not acting as a healthy raptor would act as it moved into the yard. As long-time supporters of the Wildlife Center, they knew contacting the Center would be the best action to assist the hawk. 
“We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful organization in our community with the expertise to help with these animals in distress,” Linda Stickney said. “Once we discovered the injured hawk, we knew that contacting the Ohio Wildlife Center was the best thing to do,” she said. “We knew they would assess the problem, care for, rehabilitate and return him to his home when he was ready.”
Once at the Wildlife Hospital, the medical exam revealed swelling in the hawk’s right wing. Radiographs (X-Rays) indicated there was no fracture. Treatment for the bird included medication for pain and inflammation, subcutaneous fluids, cage rest, and hand feeding. After a short stay at the hospital, the raptor was transferred to the Pre-Release Facility raptor enclosure where it could gain strength flying.
When the hawk was fully recovered, it was released on July 14, at the site where it was rescued. “When they released him in our back yard it was such a beautiful sight to see him fly free again,” Stickney said.
If you find an animal in distress or injured, call Ohio Wildlife Center’s InfoLine at 614-793-9453