A peregrine falcon found badly hurt along Chase Road in the Jackson Township–Shavertown area in June was later confirmed to have been shot and had to be euthanized after veterinarians could not save it, according to wildlife officials. The bird, discovered with a severely damaged wing at an industrial site near a quarry, was rushed to a licensed rehabilitation center but never recovered. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has now opened a criminal investigation to track down whoever pulled the trigger.
According to a Facebook post from Operation Game Thief, the falcon turned up along Chase Road at an American Asphalt facility with what looked like a serious wing injury. Rescuers transported the bird to the Carbon County Environmental Education Center, where staff determined the injury was from a gunshot and that euthanasia was the only humane option, as reported by CBS Pittsburgh.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission says its officers are actively investigating and want to hear from anyone who might have seen or heard something suspicious. Tips can be shared with the agency’s regional office or through its wildlife crime reporting system. People can also file anonymous reports through the Game Commission’s Operation Game Thief reporting portal, which is used to collect leads on poaching and other wildlife offenses.
Where the Bird Was Found
Investigators say the falcon was located at an American Asphalt plant on Chase Road, and that the type and location of the wound strongly suggest it was shot near a nearby quarry. American Asphalt operates a Chase Road site in the Shavertown area, which is where the injured raptor was ultimately found, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Local wildlife rehabilitators note that losing even a single adult bird of prey can hit a neighborhood’s breeding or hunting population hard, especially if the bird was part of an established pair.
A Comeback Story Under Pressure
Peregrine falcons were once nearly wiped out in the Northeast, hammered by habitat loss and pesticides, but slowly clawed their way back after decades of focused conservation work. The species was removed from the federal endangered list in 1999 and later taken off Pennsylvania’s threatened list in 2021. The birds are still protected by state and federal law, and the Game Commission emphasizes that illegally shooting raptors is a crime it pursues when it can, per the agency’s species profile on peregrines. Officials say incidents like this are a reminder that a recovery can be fragile even after it looks like a success story.
How Locals Can Help the Investigation
Investigators are asking anyone who was near the quarry or the American Asphalt plant in June to review security cameras, trail cameras or dash-cam footage for anything that seems out of place. If you spot something that might be connected, officials urge you to save any information, photos or video, write down the date, time and direction of travel for any vehicles or people involved, and contact the Game Commission or send an anonymous tip through the Operation Game Thief portal. They say even a small detail could be the missing piece that helps explain what happened to the falcon.
