Baby falcon suffers only minor injuries

There was good news in falconland Thursday.

The female baby peregrine falcon, which apparently injured itself in one of its first attempts to fly from a nest atop the nine-story rotunda entrance to the Federal Courthouse in Central Islip, has only very minor injuries and should be ready to rejoin its family in a few days.

A veterinarian who X-rayed and examined the bird said it had minor swelling of some tendons and nerves, according to Bobby Horvath, of Massapequa, a licensed wildlife trapper.

Horvath, a New York City firefighter, had feared that the bird injured its left wing after he netted it Wednesday, when court officials called him because a bird was hopping about in front of the building, unable to fly.

"Birds have almost no sense of smell, and it's a myth that parents will reject their offspring after a human has touched them," said Horvath, who in his spare time operates Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation in Massapequa. "We return birds to their nests all the time."

While the falcon's nest is an almost inaccessible spot on top of the courthouse, Horvath said even if the baby is placed near the nest, mom and dad will remember it and resume feeding.

In the meantime, the baby has been living on a diet of 11/2 thawed frozen quail, Horvath said.

SEE PHOTOSAnimals on the loose on LI, in NY

The baby's parents have gained appreciation from court officials for chasing away the pigeons that used to soil the courthouse ledges.