This young nephew, a Northern Goshawk, crashed into my house last November. His neck looked like it was at a 90-degree angle and I thought he was dead. He had a flicker of life when I ran outside and picked him up, and he was soon showing a lively spirit. I took him to the Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre within the hour. The experts there took over and began doing a wonderful job with him.

Although he had no broken bones, Little Brother Eagle remained in need of care at the Wild Bird Care Centre and was soon transferred to a space with a large outdoor flying area.

We were hoping that Little Brother Eagle would recover quickly so that he could be released back home. I heard his family calling him one day.

Some time later, I the opportunity to visit him again. We went for a tour to learn about the centre’s important work saving injured birds. Here, you can see a video of the Goshawk eating his lunch when I visited him.

Little Brother Eagle
Continues to gain flight strength but struggles with height. The injury has healed as much as is going to but we don’t know if he can adjust enough to be able to survive in the wild. He is young, we are hopeful. @MargaretAtwood @WildBirdOttawa @sandypines8 pic.twitter.com/ZJ0nr8CLBi

— Senator Yvonne Boyer (@SenatorBoyer) February 7, 2020

Sadly, the struggle was ultimately too difficult for Little Brother Eagle.

Little Brother Eagle has gone to the Spirit World. A fracture in his elbow prevented him from improving and his mental and physical health declined. I will bring him home tomorrow for ceremony and burial. I am heartbroken. @MargaretAtwood @sandypines8 @WildBirdOttawa https://t.co/RBWlRgrqWZ

— Senator Yvonne Boyer (@SenatorBoyer) March 20, 2020

I remain grateful to the Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre. This life-saving organization is volunteer-run and fully funded by donations. To learn more and support its incredible work, please visit wildbirdcarecentre.org. If you want to see a Goshawk in action, have a look at this incredible video.