Watch kestrel chicks from BC wildfire be released back to the wild

In July, BC Hydro workers made a startling discovery inside a charred hydro poll. While attempting to move the poll, they realized it wasn’t empty. Inside were two kestrel chicks, in rough shape, but still fighting for survival.

“Everything around them had been burned, including the pole they were in, and trees and grass. It was blackened all around them,” BC Hydro’s Dag Sharman told CBC. “Somehow, these little birds survived that fire.”

American kestrels are the smallest falcons in North America. They weigh around 3-6 ounces, or about the weight of 34 pennies. They can see ultraviolet light, which is invisible to the human eye. These birds are attracted to human habitats and structures, nesting in hollow cavities, which is probably why these chicks were found in such a seemingly strange space.

After being taken to BC Wildlife Park’s rehabilitation centre, the chicks were deemed lucky to be alive and cared for until their release on Friday. The crew who discovered the pair followed their rehabilitation process and were “very relieved and excited” about the chicks’ return to the wild.

Watch as these lucky kestrels are released from their three month stint in rehabilitation.

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