EAST VILLAGE — A young hawk that flew into a window screen on East 4th Street Tuesday evening appears to be doing fine, according to an urban park ranger.
Local birdwatchers and bystanders saw the fledgling fly into a window screen following a sudden thunderstorm before the bird fell on an air conditioning unit one story below, Gothamist first reported.
“It looked very distressed. It was young and unable to fly very well and it was pretty nervous,” said 27-year-old Jay Reno, who witnessed the scene. “Its beak was open and it looked like it was breathing heavy.”
Urban park ranger Rob Mastrianni later found the bird resting on the air conditioner unit, located above Bibi Wine Bar on East 4th Street, at 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, he said.
“It looked fine,” he said. The bird was missing when he came back for a follow-up visit at 6:45 a.m., he said, but a local told him it had flown to a roof across the street. Mastrianni said he planned to check in on the hawk later on Wednesday.
Its ordeal was not unusual, Mastrianni said, explaining that fledgling hawks are still learning how to fly, land and perch. According to neighborhood bird watching blogs, the baby hawk left the nest a few days ago.
“Hopefully it stays safe,” Mastrianni said.