A young hawk mistaken for a burglar when he broke through the window of a Forest Hills apartment is on the mend.
The male juvenile red-tailed hawk suffered head trauma when he crashed through the window on Tuesday but is still able to fly, said wildlife rehabilitator Bobby Horvath.
“He only needs a few days and then we can release him,” said Horvath, a city firefighter who runs the nonprofit Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation. “It’s a miracle he didn’t get sliced up.”
Officers from the 112th Precinct responded after receiving a call about a possible burglar, according to a post on Twitter by NYPD Queens North. The stunned bird was in the apartment surrounded by shattered glass.
Not your “USUAL SUSPECT” (Burglar apprehended 🦅 ) After responding to a call of a possible burglar hawk-eyed @NYPD112Pct cops took our feathered friend into custody. Hawk was safely removed by animal handlers and will be well taken care of. pic.twitter.com/nA5ijb0Qva
— NYPD Queens North (@NYPDQueensNorth) November 21, 2018
Horvath picked up the hawk, and it is recovering on Long Island. He may be released in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
“He’s a young bird, so he doesn’t have a territory yet,” Horvath said. “He could be released anywhere.”
