A rehabilitated Northern Goshawk was released back into its natural habitat on Monday morning.
The bird was returned to its home area near Lumby, B.C. after three months in the care of the OWL Rehabilitation Society in Delta.
It was a second chance for the bird who was found with an injured wing near a North Okanagan logging road back in January.
On Jan. 6, Frank Koprowski spotted the bird jumping on the road and unable to fly.
Koprowski picked up the bleeding hawk and held the bird in his lap for the drive home.
The hawk was sent to the OWL Rehabilitation Society facility in the Lower Mainland but the prognosis originally did not look great.
Ahead of its release, the bird was showing off its newfound strength by flapping its wings and shaking its cage.
“They are incredible hunters and very strong…He really wanted out of there, and he was ramming against the cage. We had to get it open and get it out,” Christie said.
Koprowski got the honour of releasing the hawk back into the area where the bird was found.
When the cage door has opened, the bird quickly flew towards a forested area and landed in a nearby tree before taking off again.
When it’s suggested that not everyone would have gone to the trouble of taking the bird home, Koprowski is modest.
“For sure you would have to,” he said.
“I’m a bird lover.”
Koprowski said it was “wonderful” to see the bird released.