BETHESDA

HAWK HOMICIDE

TEST RESULTS

ARE BACK

Maryland DNR Rules Out Poisoning;

Missing Talons Raise Questions

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

Maryland's Department of Natural Resources has completed testing on one of two deceased Cooper's hawks found by the Bethesda Pool on Little Falls Parkway.

The deaths were considered suspicious, but the DNR's investigation results have failed to end the suspense: Who or what dunnit?

Poison was ruled out by laboratory testing; the DNR lists "debilitation" as the official cause of death.

But now, the plot thickens.

The DNR reports that the hawk was "missing talons, which limited its ability to capture prey." End of story, apparently, for the state agency.

But not for Ace Ventura, Pet Detective!

The DNR's explanation is that the hawk couldn't feed himself and died in a debilitated state. Okay, but what about the second hawk? How do you explain two dead hawks, in the same location, with no apparent external injuries? Was the other one depending on the first to capture prey? And how does a predator with no enemies in Bethesda lose several talons?

All of these questions simply heighten the suspense. The hawk case is far from closed.

The Case of the Missing Talons.

It's known that hawks, while fierce predators, can also die instantly of fright. But that doesn't make their talons disappear.

Hawks are also commonly victims of parasites, and the diseases those parasites can spread. Talon loss is not a symptom or result listed by any source I've found on hawk ailments. Trichinella pseudospriralis-related infections "are known to cause severe debilitation and death in Cooper's hawks," according to the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. But not known to cause talon loss.

Perhaps it could be argued that he died of an infection, and that the missing talons were unrelated. But the DNR claims he died precisely because his talons were missing.

Having exhausted all resources, I contacted the Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene, Oregon.

Executive Director Louise Shimmel said some aspects of the Bethesda hawk deaths are fairly common: 60% of juvenile hawks die during their first winter, and emaciation is not unusual among them.

But the fact that the tested hawk was missing talons "is definitely unusual," Shimmel said. Captured rodent prey could have fought back, but it would be nearly impossible to have injured more than one talon, she noted. And snapping traps aren't baited with anything hawks would want. Ultimately, Shimmel said there is no good explanation for the missing talons. "It's not that easy to lose a talon."

We have a real mystery on our hands here, ladies and gentlemen.

Whodunnit? Whatdunnit?

This could be Ace Ventura's toughest case yet. Stay tuned for future updates as we try to solve this mysterious and baffling puzzle.

UPDATE ON

SUSPICIOUS HAWK

DEATHS IN

BETHESDA

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

Just a couple of bits of information to update you on the investigation into the deaths of two Cooper's hawks in Bethesda. As I reported yesterday, two hawks were found

dead by the public pool on Little Falls Parkway. There were no external injuries on either hawk.

Because the circumstances are suspicious, an investigation has begun. Test results are still pending, but I have two minor updates for you. First is that one of the hawks is now in the custody of the state of Maryland, for the aforementioned testing. They will be determining the cause of death, including the possibility of disease or poisoning.

Second, the hawks are now described as "juveniles." The experts will probably determine their exact age. For some perspective, the average lifespan of a Cooper's hawk is 12 years.

Here is a good video of a Cooper's hawk, if you haven't seen one before:

http://youtu.be/AnJ1GzraP1M

BETHESDA

DOUBLE HAWK HOMICIDE

SPURS INVESTIGATION

Two Dead Cooper's Hawks Found at Pool on

Little Falls Parkway; Cause of Death a Mystery

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

Paging Ace Ventura, Pet Detective! A Bethesda resident near Little Falls Stream Valley Park reports that two Cooper's hawks were found dead by the public pool on Little Falls Parkway.

The deaths immediately raised suspicions and concerns, as these hawks are fierce predators and their natural enemies are essentially non-existent in lower Montgomery County. Furthermore, neither hawk had any obvious external injuries.

Speculative causes of death might include disease and intentional or accidental poisoning.

Because there are implications for both people and wildlife whenever a "bird kill" occurs, one of the hawks is being sent for testing via the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Test results are pending.

It is unknown if this was a mated pair of hawks, and what the gender of each was. However, it is known that hawks are monagamous birds who mate for life.

Was this a Shakespearian death, where the male and female spent their final moments together? Or could they have been placed there?

We may never know, but we should eventually know the cause of death.

I sincerely hope this was not the result of someone perpetrating intentional harm on these birds. They are very impressive creatures.

I once had a chance to observe one from a window a few yards away. The hawk had been surrounded by a large flock of crows, not an uncommon occurance. (Crows don't like hawks in their territory, because they can't compete with the hawk's superior hunting skills). You can easily tell the hawk is a fierce predator by his barrel-chested muscular bulk and extremely sharp bill. I noticed he could swivel his head nearly 360 degrees. And he was totally unintimidated by the ugly crow gang, despite being greatly outnumbered. The only other hawks I've seen were swooping down to grab birds, and they are only a blur when they do that.

So, again, to have two hawks dead in the same place is quite unusual and very suspicious. Searching the internet, I found only two recent "bird kills" in Maryland. A credible one was the widely-reported death of 100+ starlings on I-95 in Laurel. An incredible one was a Weekly World News report that a UFO had shot down birds in Maryland with laser beams.

Allllrighty then.

Fear not citizens, these hawks were not zapped by the little green men in their flying saucer.

But something killed them, and hopefully we will soon know what it was.

It's worth noting that a few years ago, bird kills revealed the presence of West Nile disease in Montgomery County. So these phenomena need to be taken seriously. Sometimes nature serves as a warning system to us.

Are there any suspicious bird deaths in your local neighborhood matching the description of the hawk case (no external injuries)? Leave your reports in the comment section below.

Stay tuned for the test results and any further developments in this story.