The Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center is reporting an increase in the number of birds, particularly raptors like owls and hawks, being hit by cars. This trend is raising concerns among wildlife experts and advocates who say food waste along roadways could be to blame.
A recent patient at the center is a barred owl that suffered extensive eye damage after being hit by a vehicle. 10 News was there during its eye exam by the center veterinarian. While staff remain hopeful it can fully heal from its injuries, unfortunately, the owl may need to have one of its eyes removed due to the severity of the injury. According to the center’s Executive Director, Chester Leonard, about 89 percent of their raptor patients are being treated for injuries related to vehicle strikes.
“They suffered trauma, which often causes eye damage and requires upwards of a three-month hold before they can be released. Because these are predators, they rely on their site to hunt new owls, they also rely on their sense of hearing. So, in some odd cases, if an owl loses one eye, if it’s an adult, it can be released. It’s already used to its sense of hearing in conjunction with seeing to hunt.” He said that is not the case with juveniles. “If it loses an eye, it can not be released.”
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Leonard explained that these incidents often happen when people throw food out of their car windows while driving.
“Mice will come up to the side of the road, go to this apple core, or food source,” Leonard said. “While that’s happening, a hawk or an owl perched on the tree, or maybe on the other side of the road is watching this happen. It waits for the right moment, swoops down and the car will hit it. We see a ton of these injuries between December, January, February, March, particularly this time of year.”
While discarding food on roadways may seem harmless, Leonard emphasized that it can cause significant harm to local wildlife, drawing them into traffic and increasing the risk of accidents. This serves as an important reminder for people to avoid throwing food out on roadways to protect the region’s wildlife.
