Raptor Center warns birds are getting caught in soccer nets and fences

The University of Minnesota Raptor Center is asking residents and municipalities to remove any nets they have on their property when not in use because they pose a danger to the state’s birds of prey.

The center posted on Facebook earlier this month that it had received numerous reports of raptors entangled in nets, usually from soccer goals.

“Nets, such as those used for football goals, and certain types of fencing have proven to be a formidable adversary for our birds of prey,” the message reads. “Raptors may spot a tasty creature on the other side of the net and fly straight into it while trying to catch their prey. Surprisingly, birds that sustain injuries from being entangled in the net can be some of the most difficult to care for .”

The net often wraps tightly around the bird’s wings and sometimes legs as it struggles to free itself for hours. This trauma to the wings usually cuts off blood circulation and, even if there is no apparent injury at first, it can lead to tissue death.

On Thursday, the center released an update asking the community to continue to be aware of the risks of abandoned nets, saying that this week alone it had admitted five raptors to its hospital following entanglements in nets. soccer.

“With admissions of entanglements being higher than usual this year, we want to continue to encourage the practice of removing nets when not in use,” the update said. “Our human-centered world can disrupt and hurt our feathered friends in many ways. Small acts can make a huge difference.”

Related: Raptor Center mourns one of its oldest great horned owls