The Wilton Land Trust hosted a special event on Sunday, Oct. 20 to celebrate the release of two rehabilitated red-tailed hawks back into the wild. The hawks, both injured after being hit by cars, had been under the care of Wildlife in Crisis for several months as they recovered.
“These hawks were both brought to us about three and a half, four months ago,” Dara Reid, Director of Wildlife in Crisis, explained to the attendees gathered at the trailhead of the Nick Parisot Memorial Trail.
“When they’re hit by cars, they almost always have head injuries. So we get a lot of birds with head trauma. One had a wing fracture and the other had a leg fracture, which takes months to heal. The bone has to heal, and then we have to get them flying again and get their muscles good so that they’re not atrophied,” Reid said.
The event drew a crowd of about two dozen Wilton residents eager to witness the hawks’ return to their natural habitat. Wilton Land Trust Executive Director David McCarthy expressed his gratitude for the community’s support, which he said enables the organization to make connections with other like-minded organizations to make nature more accessible.
“We build community in a way that excites and galvanizes people’s support for nature, or just getting people out there,” he said.
As Reid carefully opened the transport bins and reached in to securely hold the hawks by their legs and talons, she explained that these birds were only two of the 6,000 animals her organization rehabilitates and cares for every year.
As she answered questions, she told the crowd about why conservation of open space — the Land Trust’s mission — is so critical.
“The land does not preserve itself. I grew up in Wilton, so here you guys are actively involved in preserving what’s left of our open space, I really appreciate it. Because what we do is a result of habitat degradation, pure and simple. These animals are coming to us because everything is secondary to development — cars, lawnmowers, rodenticides, pesticides and everything in between, Reid said.
As she released each bird, the crowd watched in awe as the they flew off to a nearby tree branch about 40 yards away, gathering strength before taking flight out of sight.
