Kestrel

In January, the care center took in a female American Kestrel with a fractured right leg. The small falcon was found on Marine Drive in NE Portland, where she had most likely been hit by a car. Care center staff kept the bird’s leg splinted for about three weeks, and now that the splint has come off, it looks like the fracture is setting well.

There aren't many pre-made splints on the market for petite birds like kestrels, so the care center’s veterinarian came up with a homemade solution for stabilizing the bird’s injured limb: step one – wrap toothpicks in tape, sticky side out; step 2 – place the toothpicks on each side of the leg, with the leg bent at the knee and ankle; step 3 – wrap the leg and toothpicks in a thick bandage. On its own, the bandage would have forced the leg into a straight position, but the kestrel’s joints needed to be bent – the toothpick framework kept them at the correct angle.

While the kestrel has started to put some weight on her right leg, her prognosis is guarded. Before she can be released into the wild, the bird will need to have full use of the leg, and spend some time building up her flight muscles. Kestrels often hover mid-air to scan for prey, so it’s crucial that the bird be strong enough to maintain a hovering position.

This hunting technique sets kestrels apart – few birds can hover for as long as kestrels, who also have the distinction of being North America’s smallest falcon.

One last note: Readers of this blog aren’t the only people to get an update about the kestrel. She’s a banded bird, so care center staff reported her to the Bird Banding Laboratory, which tracks all banded birds in the nation. When the lab looked the raptor up in their database, they discovered she was banded as an adult bird in 2011 in Scappoose, Ore. This means she hatched in 2010 at the latest. Learn more about banded birds.