MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WJW) — A red-tailed hawk that was trapped in a dead tree for several days in a Medina neighborhood has been rescued.

Initially, it was thought to be a bird’s nest or an American Bald Eagle, but residents learned it’s a red-tailed hawk that may have been stuck in the tree since Wednesday.

A resident of Montville Township reached out to FOX 8 after seeing the animal struggle to get free for days without food and water.

Kathy Battaglia said she noticed something in the tree on Saturday but didn’t pay much attention until on Sunday she heard the commotion of a bunch of black crows in the tree surrounding it.

“I got my binoculars out, which aren’t very strong, and thought it was an eagle that seemed to be stuck somehow,” Battaglia said. “I don’t know if it was caught with fishing line but he was definitely in distress and was calling out.”

She said she immediately got on the phone making calls for anyone who could help rescue the bird.

“We’ve called fire, police, the sheriff and the Raptor Center,” she said. “The Raptor Center has been trying to reach out to people to see if there is way to get back into the woods to help the bird. Everybody has tried to reach somebody.”

She said she’s previously lived in Florida and there volunteered at an animal rescue.

“My heart goes out to animals in need,” she said. “Especially animals that can’t help themselves like this bird can’t.”

A local tree company saw our story and volunteered its services. They were able to pull down the branch the hawk was stuck in. The bird survived the fall and is being treated at the Medina Raptor Center.    

The tree company that rescued the hawk, while happy to do so, asked to not be identified or photographed.