Missing Boardwalk Falcon Turns Up at Shore Medical Center

Trico, a trained falcon from East Coast Falcons, the company hired to keep seagulls off the Ocean City Boardwalk, had been missing for almost a month after his electronic tracking device failed.

Then, last week, employees at Shore Medical Center noticed the bird looking in a window on the fourth floor of the hospital.

Missing Boardwalk Falcon Found at Shore Medical Center

In early June, the team at East Coast Falcons posted on Facebook about the missing falcon.

The mystery started to unravel when Credentialing Specialist Danette Q. noticed an unusually large bird peering through a fourth-floor window, according to  Shore Medical Center.

"Danette called a few of us over," said Valerie D., Shore's Director of Quality. "Soon enough, just like we do at Shore, everyone started working together to figure out what to do and get this bird help."

Word spread quickly, and employees from several departments came to take a look — including Mike S., Clinical Director of Shore's Pediatric Care Center.

While the group tried to identify the bird, someone remembered seeing the Facebook post about a missing falcon on the Ocean City Boardwalk. The hospital crew tracked down the post and called Erik Swanson, owner of East Coast Falcons.

When his tracking transmitter failed, Trico's handlers searched for weeks — sightings were reported, but every lead went cold. As it turned out, Trico had likely spent much of that time perched high atop Shore Medical Center.

The East Coast Falcon Team Responds to Hospital.

Within minutes, Erik and falconer Angelina from East Coast Falcons were on their way to Shore Medical Center.

Shore carpenter Mike K. and painter Steve L. escorted Angelina to a second-floor window, where she climbed onto a ledge with a whistle and a lure.

She blew the whistle, tossed the lure onto the roof — and Trico flew right to her, clearly happy for the reunion.

After rewarding him with a bite of quail, Angelina couldn't safely climb back through the window while holding him, so she carefully passed Trico — perched on her falconry glove — to Steve until she was back inside.

With the reunion complete, Trico and Angelina even took an elevator ride through Shore Medical Center before heading outside to meet Erik.

Missing Falcon Ate Well After Escape

Looking back, Erik Swanson from East Coast Falcons realized the hospital rooftop made perfect sense as Trico's month-long getaway.

"It offers shaded ledges, fresh water condensation from the AC systems, one of the highest vantage points around to spot prey, and plenty of his favorite birds nearby — crows, sparrows, pigeons," he said.

"In fact, Trico was pretty fat when we got him back. Now that I think about it, why didn't we think to look there?"

Before returning to duty on the Ocean City Boardwalk, Trico will get a veterinary checkup and slim back down to his ideal "flying weight."

Thanks to Shore Medical Center for this great story and the good teamwork to get Trico back to his owners and his job on the Ocean City Boardwalk.