A young osprey once flew the skies above the Florida Keys. An injury, however, grounded the bird for a time until a rescue and rehabilitation effort ensued.
Despite never gaining full flight capabilities, the osprey has landed a new home in New York where he’ll serve an important role for a nonprofit educational organization in Honeoye Falls.
Last April, a call from a resident reported an osprey lying on the ground beneath a nest, which was 180 feet up on a power pole, near the former Island Christian School in Islamorada. Florida Fish & Wildlife Officer Jason Rafter, who was the first to respond to the bird grounding, began to communicate with the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center in Tavernier over the osprey’s condition. It wasn’t a point of concern right away for local bird rehabilitators, as young birds tend to be grounded as they learn to take flight. After further examination, however, the bird was showing signs of wing droop.
“The theory was he was trying to fly but the nest was really high,” Rafter said.
Eventually, the bird was safely captured and transported to the hospital for examination. Erin Allison, executive director for the Wild Bird Center, said her team began to take multiple X-rays. They determined the osprey had a severe coracoid fracture.
“The coracoid is a bone in the chest of birds underneath their collarbone that is shaped like the ‘wishbone,’ Allison said. “A broken coracoid heavily affects the flight capabilities of birds. “
After giving the osprey time to heal, bird rehabilitators began the next step with some flight conditioning. The bird was given access to a large enclosure where it could practice flying back and forth to strengthen the muscles and stamina. And while most ospreys are picky eaters in captivity, the osprey ate very well during the recovery phase.
Despite exhibiting signs of progress, the osprey never regained full flight capabilities and wasn’t able to be released back into the wild. Allison said the osprey was a candidate for a permanent placement as an educational ambassador. That’s when Wild Wings Inc., located in Honeoye Falls, New York, entered the picture.
“They are a bird of prey facility and nature center that was looking for an osprey for their educational program. This turned out to be a perfect match,” Allison said.
Approval was needed from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for the osprey’s transfer from the Keys to Wild Wings. The Wild Bird Center in Tavernier was notified of the approval this month. Lou Whalen, a volunteer with Wild Wings, drove from upstate New York to the Keys to retrieve the osprey. A new journey begins for the young bird.
“We are so excited about this placement and are happy that the osprey’s story will continue to inspire and educate the public,” Allison said.
Rafter said the bird is very strong and good with people.
“It’s a snowbird in reverse,” he joked.
