A Return to the Sky
Barbed wire in North County trapped a Red-tailed Hawk who arrived at Pacific Wildlife Care in August. She was severely dehydrated and had trouble standing, with a puncture wound in her wing likely caused as she struggled to free herself. She was also missing some tail feathers crucial for flight, so she remained in our care while we waited for her feathers to grow back.
During her recovery, our creance team worked with her on a tether, helping her rebuild strength and endurance for her return to the wild. This hawk was especially large, weighing more than three pounds by the end of her rehabilitation. By early November, her beautiful red feathers had regrown where she had been injured by the wire.
After 83 days in care, three volunteers took her back to Paso Robles and released her from the top of a hill that overlooked groves of trees. Once she left her carrier, she glided in the jet stream, barely flapping her wings. Minutes later, another hawk appeared and the two hawks soared together, slowly moving closer and closer to one another. Once their flight patterns overlapped, the volunteers could hear the hawks calling to each other as they danced together in the sky. The sight was truly joyful.
Red-tailed Hawks form monogamous bonds and may mate for life. By releasing animals back into their home habitats, we give them the best chance to reconnect with familiar territories and possibly lifelong partners. Perhaps this Red-tailed Hawk had found her mating partner again, and they had a lot to catch up on.
