Coming Together: Neighborhood rallies to save injured wildlife

Good things happen when people come together and work as a team. Just ask the folks on 86th Avenue.

About a dozen Palmetto Bay neighbors gathered outside their homes to rescue three baby Cooper’s hawks, injured when their nest fell from a tree. The grassroots neighborhood effort quickly blossomed to include kids, adults, and local wildlife experts.

The drama began about two weeks ago, as Bill Kenney walked his dogs on 86th avenue, near 157th street. He noticed a large nest on the ground. Cowering next to the nest were the three young hawks, their feathers wet and matted. “We had a big windstorm,” said Kenney. “Their nest must have fallen during the storm.” Kenney knocked on one neighbor’s door, and that neighbor knocked on another neighbor’s door. Within minutes, the entire block – adults and children – were outside.

Some of the neighbors formed a human chain to keep the birds from hopping into the street, while another ran home to get a large crate, and another, a pair of leather gloves. Each nestling, about the size of a Coke bottle, was caught and safely placed in the crate.

One neighbor, Jana Sheeder, summoned Dr. Suzanne Banas, from Richmond Heights Middle Science Magnet at MetroZoo. “We knew these injured birds would need immediate medical attention, and Suzanne is part of a phenomenal network of exotic wildlife rescuers,“ said Sheeder.

Banas took the birds to the Miami Science Museum, home of the Falcon Batchelor Bird of Prey Rehabilitation Center. According to the center’s Director, Greta Mealey, “we want to treat their injuries and quickly reunite these young birds with their parents so they can learn to hunt and survive on their own.”

After a week of rehab, it was time for the babies to return to the treetops of 86th Avenue. While proud neighbors looked on, Mealey and her husband Brian, biologist and Director of the Institute of Wildlife Sciences, placed the hawks into a tree.

A little while later, a large hawk, presumably a parent, landed in the tree – babies and mom were reunited.

A beaming Greta Mealey exclaimed, “This is a fantastic opportunity. Cooper’s Hawks are normally migratory. The fact that they are now nesting in South Florida means they are learning to adapt to residential areas and staying year round. This close-knit neighborhood showed great care and compassion in coming to the aid of these beautiful birds. Many people are afraid of large birds of prey, but these neighbors set an example as to how we can all coexist with nature.”

Interested in protecting wildlife in your neighborhood? To make a cash donation or to volunteer your time, please contact Greta Mealey at the Wildlife Center at the Miami Science Museum: greta@miamisci.org or 305-646-4256

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