I recently learned an injured owl that I had opportunity to photograph two weeks ago died.
Herschel Arnold, Hillcrest Park Zoo director said the Great Horned owl never made it to a wildlife rehab center in Espanola where caretakers had hoped to send him.
A resident in the area of Pineway Boulevard called animal control Sept. 18 to report the injured raptor had been found in a yard suffering from a possible spinal injury that incapacitated the lower half of his body.
People have been calling to check on the bird after his picture appeared in the paper, Arnold said, and have expressed disappointment the story didn’t have a better ending.
Some residents of the neighborhood the bird was found in have reported hearing an owl hooting in the night since the owl died, probably the hunter’s mate, Arnold said.
And I have a friend in the area who remembered seeing him from time to time in her trees at dusk. She said she’s heard the haunting sounds of another owl too.
Arnold said it will probably never be known what exactly happened to the bird, but he said it is not uncommon for birds of prey to injure themselves on power lines as they hunt and dive in the dark of night.
Three of the birds of prey, an eagle and two hawks, on display at the zoo were rescued after similar injuries, he said.
“They’re night hunters and they’re very good and they can see real well, but if they hit a power line…” he said.
But power lines aren’t the only thing birds of prey run afoul of, according to Assistant Zoo Director Vince Romero.
Raptors turn up with bullet holes in their wings, gunshot wounds, injuries from being hit by cars and sick from eating poisoned prey animals, he said.
It’s frustrating and infuriating to see careless abuse perpetrated against such beautiful animals, Romero said.
“I’d love to catch them and turn them in,” he said of the people who harm them, explaining all but three birds, sparrows, pigeons and starlings, are legally protected in New Mexico.
There is no practical reason to try and harm a bird of prey and really, no reason to poison rodents if you know you have a bird of prey hunting on your property. I can’t think of any nuisance they create or reason why a property owner would not encourage their presence.
The easy viewing of raptors in the region is one of the reasons I love this place so much. On the east coast, you can’t see the forrest for the trees and even if you intentionally seek out hawks and owls and the like, the chances of ever actually seeing one is slim to none.
This region has been blessed with it’s wildlife.
A short drive outside of town along a dirt road and you’re likely to see several hawks perched on fence posts or power lines and at dusk the owls can be found regally perched on top of broken windmills.
Their presence serves as a reminder of the beauty that exists and is often overlooked in this monochromatic land.
I am sorry that we lost one and I hope heaven is full of mice…

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