Updates to The Harris's Hawk Revolution

Page 227 -Obtaining landowner permission:

On X Hunt is a digital mapping tool which provides landowner boundaries and a name and address for the person receiving the property tax bill. https://www.onxmaps.com/

Page 583 -Repairing/bandaging broken talons:

To salvage talons from dead raptors, soak in water until talon can be pulled off. Clean the salvaged talon with a bleach or Chlorhexidine solution before gluing it onto the hawk's injured/broken talon or digit (bone) using two part, 5 minute epoxy. Microwaving does not work: it causes the talon to explode.

Page 600:

Dr. Tim Sullivan’s treatment for Aspergillosis in a Harris’s Hawk:

Aspergillosis was diagnosed (ELISA) and radiographs revealed two granulomas in a 5-month-old, captive bred Harris’s Hawk. One granuloma was pressing on the syrinx and affected the hawk’s voice. It was large enough to make swallowing difficult, such that the hawk had to be force fed small bites of food.
The hawk was successfully treated with the following:
Vfend (Voriconazole) 15 mg/kg oral - once daily – given in the morning with 15 grams of food
Lamisil (Terbinafine) 15-20 mg/kg oral – one daily – given in the evening
Nebulizer treatment for 20 minutes 1 to 2 times daily. (usually once daily in this case) Nebulizing solution: 250 mg Terbinafine + 250 ml distilled water + 0.25 ml Mucomist
We stopped nebulizing treatments after 7 days but administered both oral medications for a total of 37 days. A radiograph taken 18 days after stopping oral medications showed no granulomas.

Page 600 - Supportive care for West Nile virus:

Dr. Arnaud Van Wettere recommends: First day administer Metacam 4 mg/kg every 6 hours (4 doses). Then 2 mg/kg a.m. and p.m. We also administer oral fluids (8 to 10 ml dilute Pedialyte four times a day, including in the middle of the night).

Dr. Wettere's contact information:

https://caas.usu.edu/directory/van-wettere-arnaud

Page 601 -Vaccinating against West Nile virus:

After the RECOMBITEK Equine West Nile Virus vaccine was discontinued, we switched to the vaccine made by Vetera. It incorporates the North American Equine E159™ 2005 isolate for protection against the WNV strain which we suspect is most likely to be infecting raptors in our area. Because this is a killed virus, we are using the full 1.0 ml dose in Harris's Hawks. Its efficacy has not been evaluated in raptors. For this reason, you may prefer to use the Fort Dodge vaccine.
Give one 1.0 ml injection into the pectoral muscle initially followed by a second 1.0 ml injection 3 to 4 weeks later, and then a third 1.0 ml injection 3 to 4 weeks after that (3 total the first year). Then administer a 1.0 ml annual booster. If your raptor has had the initial series with a different vaccine, it only requires the annual booster.

Muscle necrosis may occur at the injection site.

For more information read: Angenvoort et al. 2014

Pages 538-544:

More hybrids have been produced!

Massimo Lanata produced hybrid offspring from a male Harris's Hawk and a female Black Kite (Milvus migrans).


Check back often for updates.