Education Birds
Hawks Aloft cares for over twenty permanently injured, non-releasable raptors. Our raptors are used in educational programs all throughout New Mexico. Adopt one of our education birds today!
Falcons
Download the American Kestrel Species Profile [PDF file]
Download the Merlin Species Profile [PDF file]
Download the Peregrine Falcon Species Profile [PDF file]
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
History – Male. Hatched in 2006. He was brought to Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene, Oregon as a pre-fledge nestling. He transferred to Hawks Aloft in the fall of 2006. He had a fractured coracoid (collar bone area). He was given an educational name of Clark Kent by one of the youngest volunteers at Hawks Aloft. When asked why she chose the alter-ego of Superman, she replied that when she was first learning about raptors, someone told her that every morning, the boy kestrels dress in their blue Superman capes, and that’s how you can tell them from the girls. Indeed, male kestrels have blue wings while females have brown feathers with black bars on their wings-an example of sexual dimorphism.
History – female. Age/Hatched unknown. She was found floating in an alpine lake above 9,000 feet. A woman saw her floating on a patch of moss and waded in to rescue her. She was transferred to Hawks Aloft from the Second Chance Wildlife Rehabilitation in Price, Utah. She arrived in early October and is still in training.
Merlin (Falco columbarius)
History – Female. Her age is unknown, but we think she was immature in 2002. She is believed to have been shot in right wing with a BB gun in Oxnard, CA in 2002. Her wing was amputated at the elbow. She was transferred from the Ojai Raptor Center in Oak View, CA to Hawks Aloft in 2004.
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
History – Female. Her age is unknown. She was transferred to us from the Wildlife Center in Espanola as an adult in 2004 with a wing fracture near the metacarpals. Eventually, her wing was amputated at the wrist. She cannot fly.
Hawks
Download the Swainson’s Hawk Species Profile [PDF file]
Download the Red-tailed Hawk Species Profile [PDF file]
Download the Ferruginous Hawk Species Profile [PDF file]
Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)
History – Female. Hatched 1989. She was brought to Wildlife Rescue Inc. of N.M. as a juvenile. She was probably hit by a car. She has a fractured left wing and permanently fixed pupil in her right eye. She flies poorly due to her injury and limited vision, but is a great educational bird as well as an excellent foster parent. She exhibits excellent showmanship and will beg for mice at outreach events.
History – Female. Hatched in 1994. She was hit by car as a juvenile in Raton in August 1994. The injury caused a collapsed left eye and the eyelids had to be sutured closed to prevent infection in eye socket. She is completely blind on that side and has difficulty judging distances. Although she is fully flighted, she would be unable to hunt for her own food due to her loss of binocular vision, and is unreleasable. She has striking feather markings and coloration which makes her a favorite of photographers at programs. Her calm demeanor allows her to attend large events. She lives with another educational bird, a male Swainson’s Hawk.
History – Male. Age unknown. He was found as an adult with a fractured wing. He came to Hawks Aloft from Meg Dahrling of Albuquerque in 2004.
Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicencis)
History – Female. Hatched in 1993. She came from the Los Lunas area with a gunshot in the head and damage to right wing. Her wing was amputated at the wrist and she is not flighted. She also has damage to her left eye caused by infection from pellets lodged in her head. She may see light and some movement, but is essentially blind in that eye. Her balance is affected, particularly during bates. In 2009 and 2010, she began laying and incubating eggs. Her injury allows us to teach others about the importance of respecting wildlife and responsible hunting. She currently lives with another educational bird, a male Red-tailed Hawk.
History – Male. Hatched in 1995. He arrived at Hawks Aloft on July 14, 1995 from Kirtland Air Force Base. The man who rescued him saw him being harassed by American Crows, fly into a power line, and fall to the ground. After being taken to a rehabilitator, the metacarpal on his left wing and the fourth toe on the right foot were removed due to damage from the electrical burn. This has resulted in no flight abilities, and he has trouble reaching perches. His bold coloration makes him well received at programs. He is currently living with a female Red-tailed Hawk.
History – Female. Hatched in 2009. She was found in the yard of falconer, Tom Smylie, in Edgewood, NM as a recently fledged youngster. She had a severely swollen left eye with a cataract, likely due to an impact injury. The eye was surgically removed. She acquired her adult tail feathers in the summer of 2010. To our surprise, all of her plumage got darker and she is now nearly a rufous morph. She is still fully flighted and lives in a large flight mew.
Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)
History – Male. Hatched in 1996. He was found on Rowe Mesa, near Glorieta, NM in the summer of 1996. He had a fractured ulna/radius (which are the two bones in the forearm) in the right wing which did not heal well. The cause of his injury is unknown. He has limited flying abilities. He is an unusual species for an educational bird, and is very popular at programs. At booths, he often perches on the ground, a common behavior of Ferruginous Hawks in the wild. His large size and regal appearance makes him a wonderful educational bird. He can get nervous when there is excessive movement, and when in front of large audiences. He is often vocal and active during presentations.
Rough-Legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)
History – Male. Age unknown. He was transferred to Hawks Aloft in January 2007. He was picked up in Roy, NM with little information concerning the history of an accident. Examination showed an old malunion (incomplete union) of the humeral-radial joint. While he is still flighted, he does not fly well enough to survive in the wild.
Accipiters
Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
History – Female. Hatched in the spring of 2007. She suffered fractures of the humerus, radius and ulna as well as a BB shot to chest in the fall of 2007. She was taken to Wildlife Rescue Inc. of N.M. and at least one pellet remains in her chest. She is fully flighted.
History – Male. Hatched in 2011. He flew into a window and broke his right wing. He was brought to the Espanola Wildlife Center and has an amputation at his wrist.
Owls
Download the Great Horned Owl Species Profile [PDF file]
Download the Western Screech-Owl Species Profile [PDF file]
Download the Burrowing Owl Species Profile [PDF File]
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
History – Female. Hatched in 1995 or 1996. She came from the Aztec, NM area. It is believed that she was hit by a car. Her wing left was severely broken with a fractured radius/ulna. Also, her wing has only partial extension which affects her balance. She is our largest owl, and a very calm educational bird. She is popular with audiences of all sizes, due to her calm nature and beautiful markings. She has successfully fostered young Great Horned Owls in the spring.
History – Female. Hatched in 2008. She was admitted to Wildlife Rescue Inc. of New Mexico in the fall of 2009 with a right wing injury. She self-amputated that wing at the wrist joint and is unable to fly. She was transferred to Hawks Aloft in February 2010.
Western Screech-Owl (Megascops kennicotti)
History – Female. She was admitted to Wildlife Rescue Inc. of New Mexico in July of 2008 as an adult. Her left eye was glaucomatous and blind. That eye has since deflated, making it appear that she lost the eye. She was transferred to Hawks Aloft in February 2010. She is still flighted but as she lacks binocular vision, she can never be released.
Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio)
History – Male. Age unknown. He was admitted to the Miami Science Center rehabilitation facility in Florida with a broken wing in July of 2009. His left wing was broken at the humerus. The veterinarian determined that he also had older fractures on his right wing. Hawks Aloft acquired him in January 2010
History – Female, age unknown. She was admitted to the Miami Science Center rehabilitation facility in Florida in April of 2009. Hawks Aloft acquired her in January 2010. Both of her eyes were injured: The left eye was completely shut and the right eye was cloudy. Her left eye has since been stitched in a closed position to prevent detritus from entering the eye. She has only partial sight in her right eye. For the remainder of her life, she receives daily eye drops in both eyes for her injuries.
Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)
History – Sex/Age unknown. Our Burrowing Owl came to Hawks Aloft from The Wildlife Center in Espanola 2011 with a detached retina, leading to limited visibility in one eye.
Corvids
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
History – Female. Hatched in 2007. She was held illegally by a woman in Oregon and was turned in to the Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene, OR, in the winter of 2008. She was housed in too small of a cage causing damage to her feathers. Due to an improper diet, Indigo also suffered from metabolic bone disease, causing further damage to her feathers and bones. She was transferred to Hawks Aloft in May 2008. She is still fully flighted but not having learned as a juvenile, she is not a good flier. She likes to play with shiny things and to untie knots. She loves to drink water from a glass, but may also play with it and attempt to bathe in it if given the chance.
Common Raven (Corvus corax)
History – Male. He was shot in the wing as a juvenile, in Santa Fe, and was taken to the Wildlife Center in Espanola for rehabilitation. He has a fractured/ chipped ulna and a pellet permanently lodged in his left elbow which causes his left wing to droop. Consequently, he is unable to fly. He was transferred to Hawks Aloft in September 2011. He is housed with one of educators and spends part of everyday interacting with her family. This socialization is an important part of working with a Raven.
