As the holidays approach, it’s important to keep in mind that thousands of birds are killed every year due to entanglements with human-made materials. Holiday decorations are no exception. Birds of prey—like this DC Cooper’s hawk searching for dinner—can get caught in net lights or loosely hung strings of holiday lights.
Fortunately, he was discovered early and we were able to remove the lights before too much harm was done. This Cooper’s hawk is currently in our care for bruising and abrasions in his right wing, but the next raptor may not be so lucky. Please make sure your holiday decorations are safe for wildlife!
