Last month, a red-shouldered hawk was brought to the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center, prompting staff to suspect she might be injured, blind, or poisoned.
This nimble hunter should have been gliding through the air in pursuit of unsuspecting prey, but instead, she was discovered lying on her back in a driveway close to Roanoke, Va.
Veterinary personnel conducted several X-rays and blood tests, which eliminated any potential injuries or health problems that could explain the bird’s inability to move.
Instead, they discovered she weighed 910 grams, nearly double the typical weight for her species.
“The diagnosis for the hawk is simply that she’s overweight,” stated Katherine McGrath, the operations director of the wildlife rescue, during an interview with As It Happens host Nil Kӧksal. “She’s our big lady.”
Filled with fowl
With a diagnosis in place, the team began to investigate how the hawk had become so overweight.
“Wild animals typically do not reach a clinically obese state unless they are being fed. We suspected someone might have been keeping her illegally as a pet or for falconry,” McGrath explained.
The immobilized hawk weighed 0.91 kilograms, or 910 grams, which is approximately two pounds. Members of her species usually weigh between 500 and 700 grams, according to the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center. (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center/Facebook)
They reached out to the individuals who discovered her, but those residents did not know of anyone in the area involved in falconry or keeping wild birds.
“So we asked, ‘Do any of your neighbors have chickens or free-roaming poultry?'” she added.
The finders spoke to their neighbors and found out that several kept free-range chickens, which had been mysteriously vanishing in recent weeks.
“And we thought, ‘Ah, we have the bandit,'” McGrath noted.
‘She’s healthy and angry’
According to McGrath, it’s not uncommon for a hawk to overeat to the point where it can’t move.
Even hawks that are of average weight can find themselves temporarily grounded after consuming a large meal, as the balance required for flight is quite delicate.
Moreover, a hawk lacks the ability to recognize when it has eaten enough. Therefore, having an endless supply of easy prey can lead to trouble.
“Most wild animals, due to the need to survive through harsh winters or lean periods, will gorge themselves if food is plentiful,” McGrath explained.
Staff at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center report that this overfed hawk will soon be ready to take flight again. (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center/Facebook)
Overall, McGrath reassures that their overweight patient is in good condition.
“She’s exhibiting all the normal behaviors of a red-shouldered hawk,” she stated.
By normal behaviors, McGrath refers to the hawk being cautious of her human caretakers and quite displeased with her confinement.
“She performs what we call the funny chicken dance, where they spread their wings and try to kick at you with their feet to signal that they want you to back off,” she explained.
“So aside from her inability to fly, everything about this bird indicates she is healthy and angry, which is exactly what we want to see.”
Katherine McGrath from the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center expresses delight over their ravenous guest. (Submitted by Katherine McGrath)
McGrath anticipates that the impressive hunter will soon regain her freedom.
She is already shedding weight and regaining her movement as staff provide her with a controlled, all-natural diet and regular exercise in their enclosure. McGrath believes she will be ready for release in a few weeks.
Before her release, McGrath mentioned that the center’s staff would notify local residents to inform them and request that they keep their chickens secured for a while.
“We aim to minimize the chances of her getting into trouble again,” she stated.