Portland Man Arrested for Shooting Red-tailed Hawk
On December 31, 2002, Portland Police arrested a North Portland man for shooting a Red-tailed Hawk in a tree behind his home. Fearful that the hawk might prey upon his captive pigeons, the man is believed to have fired two shots, the second of which found its target. It could have been worse; numerous people were in the area including children playing in a playground across the street and within range of the bullets. The suspect was charged with aggravated animal abuse (a felony), illegal take of state-protected wildlife and reckless endangerment (both misdemeanors.) He also could have been charged with the federal crime of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The man was handcuffed, placed in a squad car and driven to the police station for a mug shot and fingerprinting.
The dead "red-tail" was transported to Audubon Society of Portland for necropsy. Our x-rays and examination indicated that a bullet had entered the right side of the hawk's chest, pierced a lung and eventually exited through the left side of the bird's back. The bird's wrist was also fractured, possibly when the bird hit the ground. Beyond the immediate, life-ending injuries, this adult red-tail appeared to be in excellent health.
Although the Wildlife Care Center treats between 50 and 150 illegally shot birds each year, these incidents have resulted in only a handful of prosecutions over the past decade. Rarely have the authorities been able to find witnesses able to identify a suspect. Even when suspects have been identified, prosecutions have been rare as the local legal system has viewed wildlife related crimes as a low priority. In the near future things only look to get worse in this arena as budget cuts have forced district attorney offices to reduce their case loads. Animal related crimes are regularly cited in recent newspaper articles as one of the major areas of prosecution that will be reduced or eliminated should additional budget cuts go into effect.
The impact of these illegal shootings is significant. At this time last year, the Wildlife Care Center was simultaneously treating two state-listed endangered Peregrine Falcons and a federally listed Bald Eagle for gunshot wounds. Both peregrines were eventually released, but the Bald Eagle succumbed to its injuries. Red-tailed Hawks, Osprey, Great Blue Herons and a large array of additional protected species regularly pass through our doors with bullet, pellet, BB and blow dart injuries. The majority come to us from urban and suburban areas where simply shooting a gun is illegal. Audubon Society of Portland has in recent years resorted on several occasions to offering rewards for information leading to arrests in illegal shooting of wildlife, but thus far to no avail.
All native bird species from robins to eagles are protected under state and federal law. Even hunted species such as ducks and geese are protected and only allowed to be taken with a permit. There are very few circumstances under which permits would be issued to kill a bird of prey.
In the North Portland case there was, fortunately, a witness who reported the crime. Thanks to a swift response from the Portland Police and Multnomah County Animal Control the carcass was recovered, a suspect was identified, and a confession was obtained. The case now sits in the hands of the Multnomah County District Attorney. We will report back to you in a future issue of the Warbler as to how the case is resolved.
