Library of Congress hawk released into the wild

Cue up the “Born Free” music: The Library of Congress’s (LoC) formerly resident hawk has finally flown back into the forest.

Nicknamed “LoC Nest Monster,” the female raptor achieved relative fame last month after spending a week living in the dome of the LoC’s main reading room. She was set free on Tuesday, following a two-week stay at a raptor sanctuary in Virginia.

The Cooper hawk first appeared in the frescoed dome of the library on Jan. 20, having apparently flown in while chasing a pigeon. After she was spotted, the hawk managed to evade capture for more than a week, even outsmarting the trap set for her by wildlife experts. But on Jan. 26, a second trap, this one baited with two live starlings, proved to be her undoing.

According to the LoC’s blog, which closely monitored the LoC Nest Monster during her stay, the hawk was deemed to be suffering from dehydration and hunger after her week in the vaunted stacks.

She was transferred to the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia for rehabilitation, where birder Linda Moore told NBC4 that the LoC Nest Monster regained the lost weight.

The hawk took to the skies Tuesday above the aptly named Sky Meadows State Park near Delaplane, Va.

ITK wishes her a safe trip.

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