Injured raptors including hawks, owls, and eagles require specialized rehabilitation to restore flight capability and hunting skills for successful return to the wild.
Raptor rehabilitation requires balancing the welfare of the individual animal against the realistic assessment of release suitability. An owl or hawk with permanent wing damage that prevents flight cannot survive independently and releasing it would condemn it to slow death. The welfare calculus requires honestly determining whether rehabilitation will restore the capacity for a natural life. For birds that can be successfully rehabilitated, the process itself involves significant stress from captivity, handling, and medical procedures - minimizing this stress while maximizing rehabilitation effectiveness is central to good practice. The period of flight conditioning in large aviaries is critical: birds that cannot demonstrate adequate flight and hunting ability should not be released.