Hawk rescued by TransAlta employees

TransAlta Plant Supervisor Hal Jorgensen with rescued hawk
Colin Wier photo

Toni Lucas

On April 9th TransAlta Plant Specialist Darrell Mason and Plant Supervisor Hal Jorgensen earned a feather in their caps by rescuing a Ferruginous Hawk found injured at a rural location between Pincher Creek and Fort Macleod. The bird was seen by a TransAlta contractor who contacted TransAlta Wind Control Centre.    Jorgensen contacted staff senior environmental specialist Mike Peckford and the Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation, which is located in Coaldale. Following advice from the Birds of Prey Foundation, Mason and Jorgensen safely captured the bird and transported him 100 km to the centre.

The hawk, a male,  was assessed and appeared alert and well but was unable to fly. After he was delivered to the Birds of Prey Foundation, Peckford followed up to assess his condition and learned that he had suffered a small fracture in one of the bones in his wing. "This species is the biggest hawk we have here in Alberta," explained Peckford, who said that the name Ferruginous comes from the Latin word for iron, and refers to the rust coloration of the species. While listed as a threatened species in Canada, they are found across much of the western United States. "If we didn't help him, he'd be in pretty bad shape. He was vulnerable to predators, and not able to hunt."

The hawk will remain at the Centre until healed. His prognosis looks good for an eventual full recovery. Peckford explained that the cause of the injury is not clear, as the bird did not appear to have been struck by a turbine or electrocuted by an overhead line.

According to Peckford, TransAlta has undertaken internal initiatives to help reduce the company's environmental impact by creating site-specific Operations Environmental Management Plans (OEMPs). These plans provide best management practices to minimize environmental impacts, and instruction and guidance to employees on how to respond to environmental incidents,  in this case, how to deal with an injured raptor. TransAlta has also began a Wind Stewardship Plan and Environmental Reporting (WISPER) initiative, which involves long-term monitoring of bird and bat populations at its wind facilities.

Related link:  Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation