Juvenile Cooper’s Hawk safely released after warehouse rescue at Picatinny Arsenal
An employee with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division contacted the U.S. Army Garrison Picatinny Arsenal Environmental Affairs Division after the bird entered the warehouse space.
Ian Gray, the installation’s natural resources manager, identified the bird as a juvenile Cooper’s hawk, a member of the Accipiter family often called “forest hawks.”
“Cooper’s hawks have long tails specialized for handling fast, tight turns in the woods while hunting small mammals and other birds,” Gray said. “This maneuverability makes them very tricky to catch in these types of situations.”
After the hawk did not leave the building on its own, Gray and Pest Management Specialist Bret Graff used long-handled nets to encourage it to fly out through a bay door. The bird remained inside despite several attempts.
To avoid overstressing the hawk, Gray and Graff paused periodically to allow it to rest. Eventually, Gray positioned himself on a set of stairs and caught the bird with a net as it flew across the warehouse.
“Luckily, I have more than 10 years of bird-handling experience and was able to quickly take the bird out of the net so I could assess it for injury,” Gray said.
Gray contacted a wildlife rehabilitation expert to determine the best course of action. After assessing the bird, they decided to release it on site rather than transport it for rehabilitation, which could have caused additional stress.
“The bird had no injuries and was very spunky on its release,” Gray said. “She flew off strong.”
Cooper’s hawks can be difficult to distinguish from their closely related cousins, sharp-shinned hawks. Gray identified the bird as a Cooper’s hawk based on its size and rounded tail. Its narrow, teardrop-shaped brown chest markings indicated it was a juvenile.
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