Red-Tailed Hawk Rescued After Being Hit By Truck, Getting Stuck in its Grill

Wildlife officers in Colorado recently rescued a red-tailed hawk that had been hit by a truck. The hawk has since been transported to a rehab facility, where it is receiving treatment.

On Saturday, Colorado Parks and Wildlife's (CPW) Northeast Region announced via Twitter that a red-tailed hawk had been hit by a Toyota truck on Highway 24, outside of Hartsel, Colorado. A spokesperson for CPW told Newsweek that the collision resulted in the hawk getting stuck in the truck's grill.

The driver—who realized they'd hit the bird—called CPW for help, and Officer Ian Petkash quickly arrived at the scene.

"The hawk was hit while the truck was moving at highway speed," CPW tweeted. "Officer Petkash said it was lucky it only impacted the grill and not the bumper, which must have absorbed a lot of the shock," CPW continued in its tweet.

On its website, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) said that between 89 million and 340 million birds die in the U.S. annually as a result of vehicle collisions. Birds of prey such as hawks and eagles are at a higher risk of getting hit by cars than other types of birds because they feed on animal carcasses and scavenge roadkill, FWS said. Other high-risk bird groups include owls, waterbirds and ground-dwelling birds such as turkeys and pheasants.

CPW shared multiple photos taken at the scene, including one that showed the hawk—still stuck in the grill—staring off into the distance.

"This hawk looks p**sed," tweeted Lanie Lee Cook in response to the photo.

Another photo showed the hawk lying on the ground and looking up toward the camera with its wings fully extended.

Thankfully, the hawk only sustained a minor wing injury. CPW said that the raptor is expected to recover after a brief stay at a rehabilitation facility.

Should an individual find a bird or other wildlife stuck in their car's grill as a result of a collision, they should call their state wildlife agency before attempting to handle the animal, CPW's spokesperson told Newsweek.

To keep the good news going, the hawk in Colorado isn't the only animal to have recently survived a car accident.

Last month, a dog survived an 80 mph car crash after it, too, became wedged in the car's grill. Newsweek reported that, miraculously, the dog only sustained a few minor fractures.