Requiem for a Raptor

Today was a sad one in our neighborhood. Our neighbors found a dead Red Tailed Hawk across the street from their house. We live in the country, with farm fields, woods, and a lake. I had noticed a Red Tailed around here more frequently than I remember in the past. It's an inviting habitat for them . . . plenty of juicy rodents and rabbits around.

[Note, there is a photo of the dead bird at the bottom of this post - it is not graphic, but it might upset small children if you let them see it - so use your best judgement]

She had a large chest wound - but we weren't sure whether it was caused by another predator after her death or perhaps that she was shot. I contacted Kathy Hershey at Utopia Wildlife Rehabilitators who lives less than a mile (as the hawk flies) from us. I also put in a call to the DNR Law Enforcement office in our area since there was some suspicion it could have been shot. I also knew it is against federal law to be in possession of one, so I didn't touch it or let anyone else touch it. There are tough penalties for killing raptors - you can't even be in possession of their feathers without a license.

With Kathy's permission (she has a federal license and works with the DNR on these matters) I brought it over to her. The hawk was actually much heavier than I expected. I did use latex gloves, but I would have loved to run my fingers across her back to see how it felt. Kathy did a necropsy to see if she could figure out what happened. The hawk was not emaciated or obviously ill. Her wings were intact, so it is not likely she was injured by a vehicle on the nearby state highway. As for the wound, it was hard to be sure. She had clearly been visited by some sort of scavenger after her death. Kathy was going to have the veterinarian she works with x-ray it for bullets/pellets. We should know more tomorrow.

The really sad thing is that it wasn't just the death of one of these magnificent raptors - sad as that is. This bird had two eggs in her fallopian tubes. We don't know if they were fertilized or not. But if she had already laid one, it will not survive. It takes both parents to nest and raise their young. Without the mother, any other eggs will not survive. Now, there is likely a male hawk out there who will lose this season for sure in raising young. Perhaps he will find a new mate next year, but maybe not.

There is also a possibility it was a natural cause. Sometimes a female will have a problem laying eggs that can cause death. Or, an egg can break in the fallopian tube, causing a fatal infection. I am hoping it was a natural cause, not a human encounter.

This is nesting season for hawks. If one parent is lost, the young won't survive. We nearly had an excited Red Tailed Hawk hit our windshield near here just yesterday. They don't exactly look both ways before crossing the street when in hot pursuit of a rabbit or rodent. So keep your eyes open and watch for them when you are driving - especially in the country near fields where their favorite prey hangs out. Remember, it is we who are the encroachers on their homes, not the other way around.