Rescued Hawk Released In Tompkins Square Park

EAST VILLAGE, NY — A young hawk was rescued from Brooklyn and released in Tompkins Square Park on Wednesday, where city wildlife experts expect him to be adopted by the park's resident hawk couple.

Parks department employees rescued the young fledgling from Brooklyn, where he fell from a building on the LIU - Brooklyn campus in Fort Greene. The young bird spent two weeks of rehabilitation at Wildlife In Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation, a nonprofit that supports sick wildlife. On Wednesday, Sgt. Rob Mastrianni, a park ranger, released the fledgling in Tompkins Square Park.

Read Patch's previous coverage of New York City's hawk population here: "New Generation Of Red Tailed Hawks Fills City After Successful Breeding Season." And for more local news, subscribe here for free breaking news alerts and updates from Patch.

A Parks Department spokesperson said the young hawk was released in the East Village park because it's already home to a young hawk couple who are caring for their own fledgling. Christo and Dora have called the East Village home for several years, and this year they've welcomed at least one young hawk to their nest. The fledgling's rescuers hope that Christo and Dora will adopt the new hawk as their own, and start feeding and caring for the young one once they hear his cries.

EV Grieve, which first reported news of the rescued hawk, said that bird watchers in the park on Wednesday started calling the bird Flatbush, after the Brooklyn avenue where he was found.

On Wednesday, the fledgling was placed in a tree near Christo and Dora's nest, where he eventually worked his way up to the top of tree. A parks spokeswoman said that park rangers would check on the young hawk daily to make sure he was able to acclimate.

"We’re thrilled to release this hawk back into its natural habitat," Sarah Aucoin, the Chief of Education and Wildlife for the parks department, said in a statement. "They’re such majestic animals, and also provide pest control for the city, with rats and mice making up a majority of their diet. Manhattan alone has more than 20 red-tailed hawk nests, so you’re bound to see one if you keep your head up."

All images courtesy of NYC Parks.