Click here if you are having trouble viewing the slideshow on a mobile device.
One of three ospreys that hatched in May — stars of a Richmond-based nest cam — was injured during one of his first flights, ending up in a wildlife hospital with a head injury and broken leg.
Tam, the youngest of the three fledglings, was last seen near the top of the Whirley Crane, next to the WWII-era SS Red Oak Victory at Point Potrero in Richmond, on July 5. Tam spent much of the day exploring the crane, where ospreys have built a nest for several years. Golden Gate Audubon Society maintains the nest camera.
At around 2:30 p.m., he successfully flew off the top of the crane and was not seen at the nest for the rest of the afternoon. The next day, an experienced raptor monitor found him in the parking lot beneath the crane and took him to WildCare, a wildlife center and hospital in San Rafael.
Alison Hermance, spokeswoman for the center, says Tam appeared to have suffered a head injury. He was closely examined and kept for observation. Because of the head trauma, the center wanted to make sure he could fly on his own before returning him to the nest. Officials planned to take him to another facility with a larger aviary, but on July 9, it became apparent Tam had a broken leg.
Caregivers don’t know how the leg was broken, but it’s possible it happened during the original injury. Avian surgeon Rebecca Duerr at International Bird Rescue in Fairfield performed surgery on July 10, placing a pin in the leg and splinting it in an operation that took several hours.
Tam has continued to improve, Hermance says, although ospreys are notoriously bad patients. Their temperament does not lend itself to being handled, even by people who are trying to help them. They also tend to stop self-feeding while held in captivity.
“Getting ospreys in care to eat is always incredibly challenging,” Hermance says, “and his patient notes say that although he is still not self-feeding, he has started accepting fish off of tongs, so that should help him keep his weight up.”
He also is receiving twice-daily medications for pain and antibiotics, and the surgery site is being cleaned daily. He started putting weight on his leg the day after surgery, which is an encouraging sign.
The break should heal within two weeks, but there still are many possible setbacks that can occur during his recovery, his caregivers warned in a Facebook post to the thousands who watch the ospreys through the webcam.
“We are very pleased that the surgery went well, but the next few weeks of rehabilitation will be a challenge,” the post read. “Handling a wild bird for assist feeds, medicating and splint changes takes its toll on the bird and his feathers. We also don’t know the underlying reason for the fracture, or why he wasn’t able to get back up to the nest in the first place. Although the successful surgery is encouraging, Tam has a long road to recovery ahead of him. We will continue to do everything in our power to give Tam the chance to return to his life in the wild.”
The Richmond ospreys are considered city treasures, named as the city’s official birds. Thousands of people watch their every move, even to the point of tracking the type and number of fish brought to the nest.
Tam’s parents, Richmond and Rosie, raised three chicks at the crane nest last year. Their oldest chick, Peace-up, died in January of unknown causes. The bird was observed falling from a tree and died shortly after.
This year’s chicks include Tam and his siblings, Lassen and Shasta. Richmond and Rosie returned to the nest in the spring and began nesting. Osprey chicks begin flying when they are about 60 days old, and remain with their parents for another two months before the family leaves for their winter home.
Wildcare officials hope that Tam will be well enough to rejoin the family before it leaves.
