WRR’s Resident Red-Tailed Hawks
In 2018, two red-tailed hawks arrived at Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, each with terrible injuries. The damage was devastating—having robbed them of the ability to fly, it left them permanently grounded. In the wild, they would have soared effortlessly high above the landscape, hunting for prey and living freely. Now, they live in the sanctuary, cared for, but forever confined to the tree tops. Their story is one of survival but also of profound loss, of lives forever altered by forces beyond their control—a fate shared by other animals in sanctuary who, like these hawks, can never return to the wild.
A Life in Sanctuary
The thrill of hunting, their majestic autonomy, is lost to them. They now use their talons to climb trees and hop between branches and can only glide short distances. Their diet now consists of carefully prepared meals—mice and other meats tailored to meet their needs. Their lives here at WRR are safe, and they receive all that we can offer, but the truth remains: their existence in the sanctuary is only a fraction of what they want and what Nature intended for them.
Facts About Red-Tailed Hawks
- Scientific Name: Buteo jamaicensis
- Native Range: Red-tailed hawks are widespread across North America, from Alaska down through Central America. These birds are highly adaptable, living in environments ranging from grasslands to deserts and even urban areas.
- Diet: In the wild, red-tailed hawks are skilled hunters, feeding primarily on small mammals like rabbits and squirrels, as well as snakes and birds. At WRR, their diet is specially designed to meet their natural needs.
A Life Confined
Red-tailed hawks, like all animals, have a fundamental right to live as Nature intended. Hawks are here because injuries—caused by human interference like habitat destruction, vehicle collisions, gunshot, or illegal trapping—deprived them of their ability to live free. For most injured wildlife, there is no sanctuary; they do not survive long enough to make it to a place of safety. By sharing their story and giving you a glimpse into their day-to-day lives, we acknowledge their resilience but recognize that wild animals belong in the wild. Sanctuary, though decidedly not a zoo where wild animals are subjected to the publc’s gaze, is still a diminished life for any wild animal who, given the chance, would surely choose freedom and all its inherent “risks”.
August 2023
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