All of Flint Creek Wildlife's educational animals are non-releasable due to the nature of their injuries. In
other words, animals that cannot survive in their natural habitat because of
their injuries have been given a second chance at Flint Creek Wildlife - educating
the public while living out their natural lives.
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RED-TAILED HAWKS |
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OLD RED
Old Red, a female Red-tailed Hawk, suffered from a broken toe when
she arrived into rehabilitation some 16 years ago. Based on her
chocolate brown eye color at the time of her admission, her age was
estimated at at least 8 years old - making her at least 24 years old
today.
Old Red's toe did not heal correctly and the bones fused. She now
also has septic arthritis. As a result, she would not be able to hunt
successfully and is, therefore, non-releasable even though she is fully-flighted.
Old Red is the first bird that our founder, Dawn Keller, flew in
programs when she was a volunteer at Spring Brook Nature Center (before
founding Flint Creek Wildlife). Old Red is Flint Creek Wildlife's logo. |
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VOLO
Volo,
a male Red-tailed Hawk, came to us imprinted on humans and with a medical
condition called Metabolic Bone Disease. Volo was being raised
illegally, with improper diet and with inappropriate contact with
humans. When he arrived at Flint Creek, he was not able to stand and he
was in significant pain due to calcium depletion is his joints and
bones.
Although we were able to save Volo’s life, his
feather condition only recently improved due to his past nutritional issues and
he cannot ever be released back into the wild because he is imprinted on
humans. |
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05-11
05-11, a female Red-tailed Hawk, arrived into rehabilitation in
2005 after being found perched on a car parked at a forest preserve. She
suffered from anemia, internal and external parasites. It appeared that
she had been raised illegally and improperly and then released to try
and fend for herself.
05-11 was deemed to be imprinted on humans and, therefore, is
non-releasable. She has no physical injuries, is fully-flighted and
flies in educational programs. |
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AMERICAN KESTRELS |
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FLUFF
Fluff,
a female American Kestrel, arrived at Flint Creek Wildlife as a nestling. She
suffered from West Nile Virus (WNV) and aspergillosis (a fungal
infection that invades lungs and air sacs), Due to neurological issues,
Fluff couldn’t stand or hold her head steady enough to take food from a
pair of tweezers.
Fluff required intensive care for many months and, after being poked and
prodded multiple times a day, she recovered from WNV. She still suffers
from diminished lung capacity that impacts her endurance during flight
and she could not survive in the wild. |
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DARWIN
Darwin, a male American Kestrel, was found when he was about one
week old and was raised illegally for about 4 weeks before being taken
to the Minnesota Raptor Center in 1999. Because he was raised
incorrectly, Darwin is imprinted on humans and is non-releasable.
Darwin is fully-flighted and flies in educational programs. |
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SMARTY PANTS
Smarty Pants, a female American Kestrel, was confiscated by the Harvey
Police in 2001 after having been kept illegally as a pet for
approximately 2 years. She is imprinted on humans and is non-releasable.
Smarty Pants is fully-flighted and flies in educational programs. |
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PEREGRINE FALCON |
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SOVEREIGN
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GREAT HORNED OWLS |
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JUSTICE
Justice, a male Great Horned Owl, was born at the Kane County
Courthouse in 2007. On his maiden flight from the nest, he crashed into
the window well at the courthouse and broke his wing. He was brought to
Flint Creek Wildlife by Kane County Animal Control. Although repaired
surgically, the wing break was severe and he lost some length and
extension in the wing. He is non-flighted and, therefore, is
non-releasable.
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JUNIOR
Junior, a male Great Horned Owl, was brought to a wildlife
rehabilitation center in Cincinnati in 2005. The staff of the
rehabilitation center suspected that the person that brought the bird to
the center had raised it illegally from a chick. They attempted to
release the bird but it repeatedly returned - once injured and once
emaciated. The rehabilitation center determined that the bird was
imprinted on humans and he is non-releasable.
Junior is fully-flighted and is used in educational flight programs. |
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BOUDICCA
Boudicca, a female Great Horned Owl, had been seen down
on the ground for several days before we were contacted. The property
owners, upon advice from a nature center, incorrectly assumed that she
was a healthy fledgling that should be left alone. When we recovered
her, we found a severely emaciated bird with both eyes swollen shut due
to severe head trauma and an ensuing eye infection.
Intensive care that included tube feeding every four
hours around the clock saved Boudicca’s life, but she suffers some vision
loss in both eyes, rendering her non-releasable. |
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EASTERN SCREECH OWLS |
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KOTORI
Kotori, a female red-phase Eastern Screech Owl, was brought to
Flint Creek Wildlife in 2007 after she had been kept illegally as a pet
for approximately 3 months. Her nest tree (Screech Owls are cavity
nesters) had been cut down and the people who cut down the tree divided
up the nestlings rather than getting them to a licensed facility. We
were never able to ascertain what happened to Kotori's siblings.
Kotori is in perfect physical health but is non-releasable because
she is imprinted on humans. |
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BOX CAR WILLY
Boxcar Willy, a gray-phase Eastern Screech Owl, was found in a
boxcar in a train yard in 1998. It is blind in one eye due to a
permanently detached retina. The bird is non-releasable due to its
visual impairment.
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LITTLE RED SCREECH
Little Red Screech, (you guessed it) a red-phase Eastern Screech
Owl, was found in 1998 when it was 4-6 weeks old. It had a broken wing
which didn't heal correctly. Little Red Screech is non-flighted and,
therefore, non-releasable.
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BARRED OWL |
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MEEPY
Meepy, a Barred Owl, was found in 1992 and was raised illegally for
a period of time before being taken to a licensed rehabilitator. Because
she was raised improperly, she is imprinted on humans and cannot ever be
released back to the wild.
Meepy is fully-flighted and is used in flight programs. |
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BARN OWLS |
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PIP
Pip is a captive-bred Common Barn Owl and was the first hatchling
from an ongoing Barn Owl reintroduction project designed to reintroduce
Barn Owls, an Illinois endangered species, back to the State. Pip, named
for when a chick first cracks its shell using its egg tooth, was born in
2002 and is the son of Daddy Barn Owl. Pip's mom, who was also a
non-releasable bird from a zoo in Nebraska, has since passed away.
Although Pip has been kept for education, Pip's siblings have been
released back to the wild. |
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DADDY BARN OWL
Daddy Barn Owl was transferred from a zoo in Nebraska. He is a
partial wing amputee and is, therefore, non-flighted and non-releasable.
Daddy Barn Owl has been extremely important to efforts to repopulate
Barn Owls in the State of Illinois and has reared many birds for release
back to the wild.
Daddy Barn Owl's mate, Mommy Barn Owl, passed away in 2005. |
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LONG EARED OWL |
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SPIRIT
Spirit, a Long-eared Owl, arrived at Flint Creek Wildlife on New
Year's Day 2008. She was emaciated and in extremely low condition. She
had been unable to hunt for many days due to the old compound fracture
to the wing and she was literally starving. Because the exposed bone was
already drying out, we were unable to save the distal portion of her
wing. She is a partial amputee and is, therefore, non-flighted and
non-releasable.
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TURKEY VULTURES |
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TURKEY SR.
Turkey Senior was found in 1996 with an old wing injury that had
already healed improperly. He is only partially flighted and is,
therefore, non-releasable.
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TURKEY JR.
Turkey Junior was found in the
winter of 2004 when he was less than a year old. He was on the ground
and had been unable to make his migration south due to lead poisoning
from eating a wounded animals that was shot with lead shot. Because he
was subject to Illinois' cold temperatures, he also incurred severe
frostbite on many of his toes. Most of Junior's toes had to be partially
amputated. Because of the likelihood of future foot problems, Junior was
deemed non-releasable. |
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MONK PARAKEET |
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MONKEY
Monkey
is a Monk Parakeet that arrived at Flint Creek Wildlife with West Nile
Virus. Now recovered to the fullest extent possible, Monkey appears
perfectly normal, but she can only fly sideways.
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