Raptor rescue at Barksdale
U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Douglas McClain, superintendent, 307th Force Support Squadron, looks on as Kimberly L. Porras and Corey Sims, puts temporary cuffs on the legs of an injured Red-tailed Hawk during a Raptor rescue behind the 307th Bomb Wing headquarters building at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Sept. 9, 2103. The cuffs allowed Porras, a local Falconer, and Sims, a U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Biologist, to control the bird while they prepared her for transportation to a veterinarian for medical attention. A Falconer since 2008, Porras performs about 4-5 Raptor rescues a year. She assessed the bird's over all condition, which was "very healthy" other than her injury. The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard-sized chickens. If the injury to the bird's wing can heal properly, plans are to return it to the wild. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Jeff Walston/Released)