Chase
- Species - merlin
- Scientific name - Falco columbarius
- Hatch year - 2019
- Sex - male
- Weight - 5 oz
- Location found - Luck, Wisconsin
- Unreleasable due to permanent nerve damage resulting in reduced extension of his R wing
- Flighted - Limited
Chase was hatched in 2019 and came to our clinic before turning a year old. He had some signs of head trauma and was observed with his right wing drooping and not fully extending during flight. He was deemed non-releasable due to his inadequate flight capabilities.
Head trauma is one of the most common injuries raptors sustain after flying into windows. Like other types of birds, raptors see the reflections in windows, not the glass barrier, and millions of birds die every year from window collisions. One way you can help is by advocating for bird-proof glass or using specialized window treatments to help keep birds away from your windows (window decals/stickers).
Chase got his name from his species’ hunting habit: chasing other birds. Some merlins have been observed chasing their prey over lakes, and with nowhere to land, the prey eventually gets exhausted and captured. These raptors were commonly used by women in the medieval age of falconry, leading falconers in that time to call them “lady hawks”.
