Hawks                 

The hawks are diurnal (active by day) hunters. Here in North America they are generally smaller than eagles, which is one way to separate them in the field.

We divide hawks into two major groups: Buteos and Accipiters, although there are always a few species that don't fit either category.

Buteos are characterized by long, broad wings and a short, rounded tail. These birds hunt primarily by soaring over wide open spaces.

Accipiters, on the other hand, are forest dwellers. They have short, rounded wings and long tails, which help them to maneuver through trees to chase prey.

Distribution Map

Red-shouldered Hawk: Buteo lineatus
DOB: , Sex:
Weight: 20 oz., Wingspan: 3 ft.

Developing......

This bird came to us in December 1988 from Laramie, Wyoming. Vets there received her in July 1988 with old and calloused fractures in her left ulna and radius. There was already severe restriction in her wrist and elbow joints, and she is unable to fully open her left wing.

This bird came to us in August 1996 from a local falconer who could no longer adequately care for her. She was taken out of the wild at 20 days of age and is imprinted to humans.

Distribution Map

Found in Minnesota, and rehabilitated at the world famous University of Minnesota Veterinary Clinic, this little woodland hawk suffers from an old fracture of its right humerus which never healed properly.  Cause of fracture is unknown.

Distribution Map

DOB:  2003    Sex: female

Weight:  50 oz     Wingspan: 48 in"

This Eastern subspecies of the red-tailed hawk was found in Nebraska in September 2003 as an immature bird.  She had an old but minor injury at her left elbow region and was unable to fly.  During the course of rehabilitation that fall, she broke her right leg, whereupon it was discovered that the entire right side of her body was filled with shotgun pellets, some of which had penetrated her leg bones, which probably caused the break.  Though she is able to fly and stand fairly well, it was decided not to release her because she still slightly favors her right leg.

Photo by Anne Price

Weight:  31 oz     Wingspan: 36 in"

This small female, shown here still in her immature plumage, was found on a farm in central Nebraska, not far from a ditch off a rural road.  The farmer who reported her thinks she was hit by a car, and she suffered fractures at both her right elbow and right wrist, resulting in severe rotation of the radius.  Stay tuned for an updated picture of her adult plumage, which should be attained by early fall; unlike other North American buteos, Swainson's hawks take two years to acquire adult colors.

Photo by Toni Smith

This large, rufous-morph female, was found shot in extreme northeastern Colorado in June 2004.  She was taken to a rehabilitator in Nebraska, but the injuries to the elbow of her left wing were too severe to allow proper healing.  We do know that she is an older bird; in 2003 we determined that she has cataracts slowly developing in both her eyes.

Distribution Map

DOB: ??    Sex: female
Weight:30oz       Wingspan: 48"

This adult female rough-legged hawk was found injured and unable to fly on the outskirts of Brewster, Nebraska in December 2004.  Some concerned hunters had seen her in the area for nearly a week and contacted Betsy Finch, head of Raptor Recovery Nebraska.  She has an old fracture in the distal portion of her left radius and ulna, but still has some flight ability.  We do not know how old she is; her deep brown eyes indicate that she is at least 2-3 yrs old.

DOB:      Sex: Male
Weight: 10oz        Wingspan:18"
 

Our beautiful male Cooper’s hawk is a first for REF.  He is a survivor of West Nile virus, which may have infected him when he was only a few days old.  In 2004 he was found on the ground in a cemetery in Omaha, Nebraska, with his flight feathers about half-way grown in.  He was weak, and covered with fly eggs and maggots.  After removal of the parasites, he was in the process of being raised in isolation of humans (to prevent imprinting) when all of his wing and tail feathers pinched off and dropped, a classic symptom of West Nile virus in raptors.  Shortly afterwards, the retina of his left eye detached, leaving him blind.  This is another devastating effect of the virus.  Thanks to the excellent care of the RRN staff, at one year this handsome male is sporting a full set of adult plumage, and has compensated well for his missing eye.  As he ages, it will turn from the dark yellow color to orange, and finally a deep, blood red.

Developing......

This lovely raptor represents the first accipiter for the Foundation.  She was an imprinted falconer's bird who fractured her elbow while pursuing a rabbit in November 2002.  Despite surgery and pinning of the bones, she lost some of her flight and maneuvering ability.  Since imprints are non-releasable to the wild, the falconer considered several options for her long-term care before deciding to generously donate her to REF.

Northern goshawk 
Distribution Map

Photo by Toni Smith