Hawk Lodged in Van Driver's Grille Survives

Leaving Interstate 43 and heading down Highway 32, many people driving into Port Washington may have noticed the hawks that often perch themselves on the street signs along the state highway.

On March 25, one of those birds found itself in an unfortunate situation: it was lodged in the grille of a van owned by a 62-year-old Thiensville woman according to a police report from the Port Washington Police Department. The bird had been stuck in the grill since it was struck just north of I-43 until the driver arrived at her destination: the 1500 block of Portview Drive.

Police responded at 8:48 a.m. March 25, and were unable to get the bird out of the vehicle's bumper; so, they called the Pineview Wildlife Rehabilitation center, who was also unable to remove the bird.

Eventually, the bird was removed by a mechanic, according to the police report. An Ozaukee Press article said the driver's car insurance company gave permission for the removal of the bumper. 

Staff at the Fredonia Vet Clinic cared for the bird, who only suffered a dislocated shoulder, according to an Ozaukee Press article. Staff at the Pineview Wildlife center told the Ozaukee Press that the bird has a 60 percent chance of recovering and being released back into the wild.

The bird is now recovering at the Pineview Wildlife center, Fredonia Vet staff said.