Peregrine Chick at Zoo After Hitting Trolley

One of the young peregrine falcons that were hatched beneath the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge was injured Sunday when it apparently flew into the side of a trolley car in Barrio Logan, wildlife biologists say.

A volunteer who was watching the chick and two others as they took their first flights rescued the bird from the street and took it to the San Diego Zoo for treatment. Although it had no outward signs of serious injury, it has not been eating or flying, and officials are concerned about its health, said Terri Stewart, a wildlife biologist for the state Department of Fish and Game.

“We thought it was in good shape so we were going to release it, but we’re not going to do that now until we know what kind of shape it’s in,” Stewart said.

The bird is one of four that hatched beneath the bridge last month in the first peregrine falcon nest seen in San Diego since 1948. Observers originally thought there were three chicks, but, as the birds matured, a fourth was seen, said Mark Pavelka, the wildlife biologist who originally spotted the nest.

The nest has since been monitored by volunteers from

the nonprofit Peregrine Fund, which has spearheaded efforts to breed the endangered birds and reintroduce them to their historical habitat, which ranged throughout the state.

Pavelka said biologists remain vigilant for the other chicks’ safety. On Monday, one of the fledged chicks had not been fed by its parents for a couple of days, he noted. The scientists had not decided whether to intervene.