Migratory patterns at Liberty Wildlife

Northern Harrier	The migration season seems to have started early this year, with a warbling vireo and an orange crowned warbler making appearances before the end of August. These small songbirds are delicate, and the stress of injury and being in captivity is very hard on them. They will be turned around and released as soon as possible, both to reduce stress and to help get them on their way south.
Northern Harrier	We will also be releasing all of the white-winged doves that have been cared for at the center, as these doves migrate into the Valley in the spring and leave again in the fall. Another seasonal visitor is the northern harrier. We have had an early arrival of this wintering hawk at the hospital. He is recuperating nicely and will soon be released to the agricultural fields south of town.
In the next few weeks we'll start seeing Swainson's hawks, harriers, Cooper's hawks and flammulated owls. Two gray hawk fledglings came in from the San Pedro area. They were discovered on the ground with no parents in sight, and were turned in to a rehabber down there. She sent them up to our facility knowing we have flight cages where these two can build strength and hone their hunting skills for their migration south. Another unusual patient is a fledgling zone-tailed hawk who came in from the Payson area with a case of folding fractures or bendy bone disease. Someone tried to raise this bird without understanding its nutritional needs. Keeping native animals without a rehabilitation license is a federal offense and often dooms the animal to a life in captivity. We are hoping we can turn the situation around to some degree for this beautiful raptor.
Cooper's Hawk	Even birds that may live in the Valley year around such as red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, hummingbirds and elf owls increase in numbers in the fall and spring. This is due to the geography of the state, and the fact that some local birds summer up on the plateau and merely move south ahead of the frostline. Rather than an outright migration of thousands of miles such as the Swainson's hawks fly, these local species just shift a few hundred miles or even less. This shift boosts their populations in our skies (and usually here at the facility) each spring and fall. So even if you won't be raking leaves this September, you will still have a chance to experience Fall. Keep an eye out for some of the more unusual migratory bird species, and an increase in the common ones.