Fallston the Cooper’s Hawk is originally from Fallston, MD, where he was rehabilitated in 2001 after a collision with an unknown object. He has a permanently injured left wing, nerve damage to his tail, and has also suffered neurological trauma. He cannot fly well enough to hunt, so he was transferred to VINS in 2009. Fallston enjoys perching on the very highest branch in his enclosure, where he has a great view of our forest.

In the wild, male Cooper’s hawks build nests with almost no help from the females. Even in captivity, Fallston feels the urge to build. Each spring, he creates a deep ring of twigs in the feeding box at the back of his enclosure. Our staff sees this “nest” as a sign that Fallston is comfortable in his enclosure, and we provide a good selection of twigs for Fallston’s use!

Like all exhibit birds, Fallston receives a biannual health check from the Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation. Cooper’s hawks hunt mostly birds in the wild, so Fallston receives plenty of chicken and quail, in addition to mice. He also enjoys plucking the chicken heads and wings we give him for enrichment.