Last month, a red-shouldered hawk that was unable to move was brought to the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center, leading the staff to suspect she might be blind, injured, or even poisoned.
This agile predator, typically seen soaring in the skies and hunting unsuspecting prey, was instead discovered lying on her back in a driveway in Roanoke, Virginia.
Following a series of X-rays and blood tests, the veterinary team ruled out any injuries or health problems that could explain her inability to move.
They discovered she weighed 910 grams, which is nearly double the average weight for her species.
“The diagnosis for the hawk was simply that she is overweight,” said Katherine McGrath, the operations director at the wildlife rescue, during an interview with As It Happens host Nil Kӧksal. “She’s our big lady.”
Filled with Fowl
Once they established the diagnosis, the staff began to investigate how the hawk had become so overweight.
“Wild animals typically don’t reach a state we can classify as obese unless someone is feeding them,” McGrath noted. “We suspected she might have been kept illegally as a pet or as a falconry bird.”
The immobilized hawk weighed 0.91 kilograms, which is 910 grams or roughly two pounds. Members of her species usually weigh between 500 to 700 grams, according to the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center. (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center/Facebook)
They contacted the individuals who discovered her, but those people didn’t know of anyone in the area engaged in falconry or keeping wild birds.
“We then asked, ‘Do any of your neighbors have free-roaming poultry or chickens?’” she explained.
After consulting with neighbors, the finders discovered that several of them did indeed have free-range chickens that had been mysteriously disappearing in recent weeks.
“That’s when we thought, ‘Ah, we have our culprit,’” McGrath remarked.
“She’s Healthy and Angry”
According to McGrath, it is not uncommon for a hawk to consume so much food that it cannot move.
She noted that even hawks at a normal weight can find themselves temporarily grounded after a substantial meal because of the delicate balance required for flight.
Moreover, hawks lack the instinct to recognize when they are full. Consequently, an all-you-can-eat supply of easy prey can lead to overindulgence.
“Most wild animals, needing to survive through winter or lean periods, will gorge themselves when food is plentiful,” McGrath stated.
Staff members at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center indicate that this overstuffed hawk will be ready to take flight again in a few weeks. (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center/Facebook)
Nonetheless, McGrath reassured that their overweight patient is doing well.
“She is exhibiting all the typical behaviors of a red-shouldered hawk,” she said.
By normal behaviors, McGrath refers to the hawk being cautious around her human caregivers and visibly displeased with her captivity.
“She performs what we call the funny chicken dance, where they flap their wings and attempt to kick at you, showing they want space,” she explained.
“Aside from her inability to fly, everything about this bird indicates she is healthy and angry, which is exactly what we want.”
Katherine McGrath from the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center expresses delight over their eager guest. (Submitted by Katherine McGrath)
McGrath anticipates that this impressive predator will soon be released back into the wild.
She is already shedding weight and regaining her ability to move as the staff provides her with a controlled, all-natural diet and regular exercise in their enclosure. McGrath believes she will be ready for release within a few weeks.
Prior to her release, McGrath indicated that the center’s staff would notify local residents to inform them and request that they keep their chickens confined for a time.
“We aim to prevent her from getting into trouble again,” she concluded.
