What to do in a hawk emergency

Friday night, Christo was discovered to be trapped in an air-shaft between two buildings on East 7th Street. Thankfully, Ranger Rob Mastrianni of the NYC Urban Park Rangers was in the area and was able to rescue him without incident. Christo was fine, and you can read the full account of what happened over at EV Grieve.

So, what do you do if you find a hawk or other animal that needs help?

In the case of hawks/falcons, if it is perched on a fire escape or air-conditioner and it's night, it may just be roosting (sleeping), in which case you should leave it alone and see if it flies off in the morning. If it doesn't leave, or if it looks like it might be hurt, call 311 and ask for the Urban Park Rangers. They are trained to handle wildlife-related situations and can advise you on what steps to take next.

I have created a page linked in the right-hand sidebar of this blog under the heading NYC Wildlife Emergency Contacts. You will find phone numbers and other resources for seeking help when encountering wildlife in the city.

I'm hoping this little adventure taught Christo a lesson and he never pulls that stunt again, but all our urban birds and animals need our assistance surviving in this wild city.