Injured Hawk Defies Odds, Soars Free in Alberta

When a rough-legged hawk arrived at Medicine River Wildlife Centre with a two-week-old broken wing, the prognosis looked grim. The wing had already begun healing incorrectly, and staff worried the bird would never fly again.

But this hawk had other plans. Within just a couple of months, it was soaring through the rescue center's large enclosure with perfect form.

"We didn't think he was going to make it, but he did," said Carol Kelly, executive director of the nonprofit wildlife rescue located northeast of Sundre, Alberta. She credits the surprisingly quick recovery to birds' hollow bones, which heal faster than you might expect.

On a mild February day, staff made the call to return the hawk to freedom. Several other rough-legged hawks had been spotted near the center, making it the perfect time for release.

These hawks aren't common patients at the facility. Some years the center treats six or eight, other years just one. The birds only visit Alberta during winter, arriving mid-fall and heading back north to breed by April.

Kelly notes that their presence serves as an unexpected weather forecast. When winters turn harsh, the hawks keep flying south until they find better conditions. This year, they stuck around, a hopeful sign the season would stay mild.

Why This Inspires

While about 60 percent of animals brought to Medicine River recover and return to the wild, not every story ends in release. That's why the center refuses to name rescue animals.

"They're not our pets," Kelly explained. "The only ones that get names are ones we keep for education, like Otis our owl." Keeping that emotional distance helps staff cope when the 40 percent that don't survive pass away.

The center currently houses muskrats, salamanders, a toad, and various birds of prey including a great grey owl and bald eagles. Come spring, several will join the rough-legged hawk in returning home.

The facility is also expanding to help more animals. A new raptor compound with nine enclosures under one roof will open this spring, already housing 22 birds. The $250,000 project joins a visitor center upgrade that has received $1 million in funding, with another million still needed.

Every dollar raised means more wings get a second chance at the sky.