ISSN: 2639-216X
Authors: Morel AP*, Prusch F, Anicet M, Ribeiro C and Marsicano G
The American kestrel is a common bird of prey across Brazil and is abundant in many regions of the country. Kestrels are also found in urban areas, which predispose them to anthropogenic threats. Some threats that wild raptors face around the world include electrocution, barbed-wire lesions, shooting, collision with artificial structures, and vehicle-related accidents. Raptors are often brought to veterinary clinics with traumatic lesions arising from such threats. Infectious diseases are also a primary reason for raptors to be brought to veterinary facilities as well as nestlings and young those are found outside the nest or young. The aim of our study was to report the frequency and causes of injuries in American kestrels (F. sparverius) received at a rehabilitation facility in southern Brazil. We evaluated data collected from 2019 to 2021 for a total of 82 individuals, including 47 adults and 35 juveniles, which composed 57.3% and 35% of our dataset, respectively. We found that physical trauma was the main reason for admission (61% or 50/82 of all cases we examined). Traumatic injuries included bone fractures, traumatic brain injury, lacerations, and different kinds of lesions. Juveniles with no signs of trauma or diseases represented the second main cause of admission to the rehabilitation facility (28% or 23/82 individuals). Most individuals were admitted to the rehabilitation clinic in December (37.8%), followed by November (20.7%) and January (4.6%). We found that the outcomes of rehabilitation were generally positive. Of the 82 individuals received, 44 (53%) were released back to the wild, 20 (24%) were euthanized for humane reasons and 19 (23%) died as a result of their injuries or illness. Future work on the frequency of anthropogenically-induced injuries and illnesses will help shed more light on rehabilitation strategies that lead to successful outcomes for raptor species.
Keywords: Anthropogenic Threats; American Kestrel; Falco sparverius; Raptor; Rehabilitation; Trauma
