Ferruginous Hawk

A concerned member of the public brought this Ferruginous Hawk to us in the middle of summer after being found unable to fly with an old wound on its shoulder. The Hawk was found in Medicine Hat by the Lost River Ranch.

After 37 days in care, lots of yummy meals, conditioning, and enrichment from our team, this Ferruginous was ready to go! "Enrichment" is provided to all our patients and permanent residents as a way of mimicking their natural living environments, as well as providing mental stimulation. We supply every animal we care for with species-specific enrichment, and for this Ferruginous Hawk plenty of brush and shrubs did the trick, as well as a variety of perching options.

Facts:

• Ferruginous Hawks have a life span of 20 years

• Top flight speed of 160km/h

• 134-152cm wingspan

• Carnivore diet

• Largest species of hawk in North America

• Prefer a solitary lifestyle

Ecological niche: Ferruginous Hawks help to control the rodent population

Population threats: Human occupation leads to the loss of nesting sites for these Hawks, which can be detrimental.

To ensure successful releases, before all of our birds of prey are released back into the wild, our wildlife team ensures that our raptors have the proper hunting abilities. They also ensure the birds of prey are conditioned while in care in case they feel like being lazy bones!

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