The rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus), also called the rough-legged hawk, is a medium-large bird of prey. It is found in Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America, Europe and Russia and the Palearctic during the breeding season and migrates south for the winter.

At the end of November, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, was already covered by heavy snow and ice, and the temperature at night has dropped to minus 17 degrees Celsius.

At around 21.30 at night on November 30, the Food, Drugs and Environment Detachment of the Harbin Public Security Bureau received a report that a resident had picked up a national key protected wild animal on the road.

After hearing the news, the police officer Song, the volunteers of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) Community Conservation Area for wetland at Songhada (Harbin) (CCAfa) wildlife protection rescue station, rushed to the scene and found the bird of prey rescued by the citizen.

After identification, this majestic bird is a national second-level protected animal rough-legged buzzard. It is reported that when it was picked up, it could no longer fly. The police and the CBCGDF volunteers conducted a preliminary physical examination on the big bird and found that it had no obvious injuries, so they decided to take it back to the rescue station.

It is reported that every year in the snowy season, locals in Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces often find birds of prey that have fallen in flight due to lack of physical strength. According to preliminary statistics, since this year, Jilin Province has rescued two birds of prey.

“If this dude eats mice, it needs to eat 10 to 20 a day, a not small appetite.” The Harbin police officer was grateful for everyone’s concerted efforts to save the bird of prey and hoped the big bird can recover ASAP and to be released to nature. Otherwise, if it lived there for a long time, “no one can afford it”.

On December 1, the rescued rough-legged buzzard seemed to be in a bad mood and had not eaten all day. In the evening, the CBCGDF rescue station staff saw its physical strength decrease significantly and forced it to be fed. According to estimates by the staff, if the progress is normal, the rough-legged buzzard should be released into the nature after four to five days of recovery.

(Photo credit: CBCGDF volunteers)

By / Maggie

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