Hawk Rescued in Pleasanton Parking Lot Returned Safely to Nest

An downed hawk rescued last week in a Pleasanton parking lot is home again after it was returned to its nest this week. Animal Control Officer Frankie Blavet said the young hawk was found underneath a truck in the parking lot at the Dolores Bengston Aquatic Center in Pleasanton on June 17.

According to Blavet, officers were able to safely capture the injured bird and take it to the wildlife experts.

”It was unable to fly due to its age and so we captured it and took it to Lindsay Wildlife where it was identified as a Cooper’s Hawk,” Blavet said. “It was found to be a female, who was not injured, just too young to fly so they [Lindsay Wildlife] kept it there and cared for it for approximately a week.”

Blavet said officers were able to find the bird’s nest at the top of a nearby Redwood tree.

“Cooper’s hawks will take their babies back even weeks later so we were hoping to release her back into the nest,” Blavet said. “After locating the nest in the top of a Redwood tree we placed her on the bottom branch of the tree, where she was able to hop up from branch to branch, back to the nest!”

Cooper’s Hawks, which are carnivorous, generally have two to eight fledglings at a time.

“Their main prey are other birds such as mourning doves,” Blavet said.

Related:

• Rescue in Pleasanton: Little Ducks Run Amok

Photos courtesy Pleasanton Police