The Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown is caring for an injured peregrine falcon, a bird rarely seen on P.E.I. in winter.

'It looked like it hit a wire.'— Chuck Gallison

Earlier this week, conservation officer Chuck Gallison responded to a call about an injured bird found in Meadowbank. Gallison said he knew it was some kind of a falcon.

"I just crawled in amongst the bushes there a little bit. You just have to be careful of its talons, and you just kind of grab it," said Gallison.

"It looked like it hit a wire, because part of its feathers were up on a power line. So we took it to the vet college and sure enough it turned out to be a peregrine falcon."

In the past century, only nine peregrines have been sighted on the Island during the winter, but this is the second seen in two years. The peregrine falcon is listed as an endangered species.  

Gallison said the falcon will get surgery on its broken wing and spend the next few weeks recovering. It will then be released into the wild.

There is no word from the college yet on the bird's condition.

The peregrine falcon is the fastest animal on the planet, capable of more than 300 km/h in a dive.