RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — “Red” the falcon chick, of Richmond Falcon Cam fame, had to be admitted to the Wildlife Center of Virginia this past weekend for a mass that had formed on his eyelid.
The chick, called “Red” for the identification band he wears, is the youngest of four peregrine falcons that recently hatched on the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resource’s Richmond Falcon Cam livestream. Red, also known by his band code of 92/BN, was taken from the nest box following the May 24 banding.
“Viewers will likely notice that there is one chick currently missing from the pen following our banding efforts this morning,” the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) said in its blog post on the banding. “While monitoring the camera earlier in the week we noticed a small cyst-like nodule on the eyelid of one of the chicks. Once we had the bird in hand and were able to consult with the Wildlife Center of Virginia, the decision was made to transport the bird to the center for additional examination and surgical removal of the nodule.”
According to a May 25 post from the Wildlife Center of Virginia, Red was mildly dehydrated upon admission to the center but otherwise doing well.
The approximately 3mm mass was concerning to both DWR biologists and center staff, as it was touching Red’s eye. The mass could damage Red’s eye if untreated, causing corneal ulceration.
This prompted the staff to put Red under anesthesia and perform surgery on the mass to remove it.
According to the center, the delicate sutures used to close Red’s incision will ideally prevent further irritation to his cornea. The mass will be studied to find out what caused it.
Additionally, it was discovered after Red’s surgery that he had a very low level of lead in his system — which is a common occurrence for raptors, according to the center. As this can cause health problems if not treated, center staff started chelation therapy to help remove it from Red’s system. The cause of this exposure is currently unknown.
In a May 27 blog post, the Virginia DWR announced that Red is doing well following his surgery and recovering nicely. He shows no signs of corneal ulcers or inflammation. If his healing continues as expected, Red should be back on camera for his close-up on Wednesday, May 29.
“At the time of his reintroduction, there will still be a very small suture on the chick’s eyelid, however this will require no removal as it will dissolve over time,” the Virginia DWR said.
His other siblings are also faring nicely, eating several meals since they were moved into their new nest box.
To check in on the falcon chicks yourself, you can tune into the Richmond Falcon Cam here.
