Trisha and Tony, two young North American Kestrels soared above the trees after being released at Old McDonald Farm Tuesday afternoon.
The smallest of the North American falcons, both birds soon disappeared above the tree lines as a small group of conservationists and media members cheered them on.
Old McDonald Farm’s on-site property director Amy Capehart found Tony in early June after he fell out of his nest by her home. Tony was taken to the Chattanooga Zoo where he was soon joined by Trisha. She had contracted trichomonosis, a parasitic infection that had caused severe swelling in her neck.
The Chattanooga Zoo, which primarily functions as an intake facility for injured and displaced wildlife, provided initial care for both falcons for a few days. Trisha and Tony were then placed in the care of Alix Parks, founder of HappiNest Raptor Rescue.
“He was in really good shape,” Parks said about Tony. “He was in perfect feather at that time. I placed him with the others and then we did the live prey training and the flight conditioning in the larger aviary. And you saw what he did today, he flew really well.”
Capehart said she knew very little about Kestrels and did a lot of googling when she first found him. She knew Tony would need proper care and called HappiNest to see if they could rehabilitate the young falcon.
She was happy that Tony was released back at the farm.
“Alix says that they have facial recognition and that they're super smart,” Capehart said about the bird possibly staying in the nesting box they placed by her home. “This habitat is just magnificent here. It's a perfect coastal habitat.”
Parks said it took three months to rehabilitate Tony. She said Trisha likely contracted her infection by preying on pigeons, something Kestrels commonly do. “Trish came in and she was really sick and almost died,” Parks said. “Pigeons are carriers even though they don't show any symptoms. After about three weeks of medication, she was fully healed.”
Parks said the farm was the perfect habitat for the falcon pair. She said a variety of birds and raptors make their home at the farm. She said the creek provides them with water and there are plenty of prey animals roaming the ground.
“Everything from songbirds to mice, rats, and squirrels, you name it,” she said. “Kestrels are colorful and beautiful, and they eat mostly insects so they're excellent at pest control, and crop pest control.”
HappiNest is located on Signal Mountain. Parks said they rehabilitate raptors which include owls, falcons, hawks and vultures. “I take care of about 175 to 200 birds of prey every year,” she said.
MTM Environmental Certified Wildlife Biologist / Ornithologist Katheryn Albrecht was at the release and sharing information about the raptor project they started recently.
She said raptors are important indicators of an ecosystem’s health. Raptors help farmers and landowners by controlling insects, snakes, and rodent populations.
She said landowners are vital partners for the conservation of raptors and their habitats. Property owners can support raptor conservation by enhancing their lands to provide critical nesting opportunities and foraging habitats.
She said they want to engage with private landowners, communities, and others, bridging the gap between conservation efforts and landowners to create a collaborative approach for grassland raptor conservation in the Southeast.
She plans to partner with HappiNest to push the project forward.
About HappiNest
HappiNest Raptor Rescue, is a 501(c)(3) community service organization based in Signal Mountain, TN. They are dedicated to the rehabilitation of the S. E. Tennessee region’s sick, injured and orphaned raptors. Their goal is to prevent suffering and successfully return raptors to the wild.
Learn more and make a donation here: www.happinestraptorrescue.com