Lindsay Wildlife Experience Treating Grinnell, One of UC Berkeley’s Famous Nesting Peregrine Falcons

SF Bay Area Pioneering Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital Caring for Raptor Found Injured at the Berkeley Tennis Club

WALNUT CREEK, CALIF., Nov. 3,  2021 —  Lindsay Wildlife Experience is treating an injured Peregrine  Falcon and local avian celebrity in its wildlife rehabilitation hospital after it was found injured in Berkeley in late October.

The Peregrine Falcon was discovered on Oct. 28 sitting on a garbage can on a deck at the Berkeley Tennis Club.  The falcon did not fly away or move when approached, and its rescuer was able to easily catch the bird and place it in a box after calling Lindsay’s hospital hotline for advice. The bird was kept overnight at the rescuer’s home and brought to the hospital the next day.

Although it had no obvious injuries when caught, an initial exam revealed that the falcon was missing the tip of his maxilla, or upper bill, and a large patch of feathers at his chin and throat area near a wound. He also had an injured left wing. Additionally, the bird was sporting a federal band, which allows researchers to study its movements and migratory behavior. A scan of the band revealed that the falcon was none other than Grinnell, who with his mate Annie, is one of the falcons that famously nests in the UC Berkeley Campanile tower.

Following his initial exam, Grinnell received supportive care and radiographs were taken of his injured wing. Dr. Krystal Woo, Lindsay’s Lead Wildlife Veterinarian, performed minor surgery to close a wound on the wing and Grinnell is receiving antibiotics, antiparasitic drugs, and pain medication as he recovers from his injuries.

Grinnell will likely be in care for at least 10 to 14 days so that his surgery site can heal before he is returned to the wild near the site where he was found.

While Lindsay’s veterinary team cannot say with certainty how Grinnell was injured, an intraspecies attack is suspected.

The falcon and its mate were first observed at the UC Berkeley Campanile in late 2016. Since then, they have famously nested in the Campanile tower with their daily nesting life captured on web cams and viewed by thousands of social media followers.

Peregrine Falcons are found throughout California and are a fully protected species. Grinnell is only the fourth Peregrine Falcon patient the hospital has received this year.

The Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital provides free veterinary care to native California wildlife and depends on donations to continue its life-saving work. More information about how to support the hospital can be found online at https://lindsaywildlife.org/help-hospital/

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About Lindsay Wildlife Experience:
Lindsay connects people with wildlife to inspire responsibility and respect for the world we share. It is a unique natural history and environmental education center where wild live animals are just inches away from visitors. It serves more than 100,000 children and adults and treats more than 5,600 animals each year at the first wildlife rehabilitation hospital established in the U.S.