RANDOLPH – An injured merlin falcon is free to take to the skies again after it was returned to nature by DEC ECO Robert Nosal Wednesday.
The bird had been recovering from a broken wing. Nosal responded to a report of an injured bird on April 18. He rescued the bird and took it to the Erie County SPCA, where it was x-rayed and found to have a broken wing.
The merlin is a small falcon slightly larger than an American Kestrel.
Following successful surgery, the bird was prepared for release back into the wild. Nosal brought the bird back to where he found it and released it. The free bird immediately flew away.
