A young Cooper’s hawk is safe and under observation after a successful coordinated rescue effort on June 26. The bird became stuck in tree sap on Buena Vista Avenue, prompting a response from multiple city agencies.
Alameda Police Department Officer Alaina Onesko, the city’s sole Animal Control Officer, was dispatched to the scene at 5 p.m.
“I couldn’t reach the hawk on my own, so I contacted Public Works to be dispatched with their cherry picker truck to assist,” Onesko said.
Onesko provided the Public Works employee with necessary equipment, including a hand bucket, bite-proof gloves, and a towel.
“He went up in the bucket to where the fledgling Cooper’s hawk was located in the tree,” Onesko explained. “He was able to break the branch that the hawk was attached to and place it into the bucket for me.”
Upon closer inspection, Onesko discovered the tree was diseased with aphids, producing a sticky secretion that had completely covered the hawk.
“I removed all the debris stuck to the hawk then transported it to Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter,” she said.
At the shelter, an employee provided immediate care, offering water to the distressed bird before it was placed in a carrier kennel. Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue was then contacted, and they dispatched a volunteer to retrieve the hawk from the shelter for further treatment and rehabilitation. YUWR is an all-volunteer organization that accepts donations.
This rescue highlights the adaptability of Cooper’s hawks. Once a rare species inhabiting dense forests, these birds have successfully transitioned to suburban environments. As developers cleared wooded areas the birds quickly adapted—suburban bird feeders attract their preferred prey: songbirds.
