A Virginia bird is the star of a new children’s book that shares the story of rescue and rehabilitation at the renowned Wildlife Center in Waynesboro. Sandy Hausman reports on Maggie, the One-Eyed Falcon.
Bird lovers in Richmond know about Maggie. The young falcon hatched on the ledge of a high rise in the city – her parents feasting on pigeons and bringing her tasty bits. Minnesota writer Christie Gove-Berg thought she was a fine subject for a children’s book, and at the Wildlife Center of Virginia spokesman Randy Huwa agreed, as he read an excerpt from Maggie The One-Eyed Falcon.
“With her tummy full, Maggie exercises. She takes little jumps along the ledge, while opening and closing her wings. When the wind blows under her, she lifts into the air. This feels right. Maggie is almost ready to fly.”
But one of her first flights went badly – the bird crashing into a building and falling to the sidewalk below. She was rescued and brought the wildlife center, but staffer Amanda Nicholson say veterinarians could not save one of her eyes.
“Peregrine falcons spend a lot of time in the air and on the wing – diving after their food" Nicholson explains. "Without that other eye she doesn’t have much depth perception and wouldn’t be able to hunt for herself.”
So the wildlife center has made Maggie an ambassador. She travels with keepers to schools, libraries and community festivals – doing her part to excite the public about wildlife protection. So far, Nicholson says, she’s a star, and that bodes well for her book.