10/22/2026
The Long Road Home 🪶
When this male American Kestrel arrived at RMRP in June 2025, he had been found stunned and lying on his back in the middle of a road. A Good Samaritan rescued him and got him the help he needed.
Our exam showed spinal trauma, presumably from a vehicle strike, as well as severe damage to most of the flight feathers on his left wing. Fortunately, his spinal injury responded well to pain and anti-inflammatory medications, rest, and plenty of nutritious food. His feathers, however, were going to be a much bigger challenge.
The flight feathers had been damaged down into their follicles, which meant we couldn't simply replace them through a process called imping, where a damaged feather is grafted to a healthy feather shaft. Instead, we had to wait for the damaged feathers to molt naturally and grow new ones.
We knew that could take up to a year. And it did.
Even as new feathers began to grow, the damage to his feather follicles meant many didn't grow correctly and had to be replaced multiple times. Others were weak and broke easily as they grew. Caring for this kestrel became a long-term challenge for our rehabilitation team, requiring creative cage setups, careful management, and plenty of patience.
By mid-summer, his flight feathers were finally looking great. And then, because apparently one more challenge was necessary, he decided to molt his entire tail at once.
So we gave him more time, more nutritious food, and more patience.
After more than a year in our care, we are thrilled to say that all of that time, effort, and care paid off. In mid-September, this little kestrel finally took to the skies again!
We’re pretty sure he was just as happy to be flying free as we were to watch him go.
Whether they're with us for a day or a year - your support makes this work possible. Donate today at rmrp.org/donate
📸: Photos 1 & 2: The patient in our Critical Care unit missing his left flight feathers. Photo 3: The patient in our flight enclosures.
