Hey pardner....

I was stumped when I got the call on a baby raptor in Basin but when I got there it was an even bigger surprise. Most baby birds of prey are already well on their way to having hard feathers and getting ready to fledge. This is a very late hatch of an American Kestrel, the smallest falcon they make. COOP was found out back of the Big Horn Co-Op in Basin and hard as we looked no nest site was seen. She's so young you can see she isn't even standing. She can, however, make it up on her feet to snatch food off the end of the forceps at feeding time, she's an enthusiastic eater. I'll post more photos as she gains feathers so you can see how fast she becomes a "real bird"