Species: Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Intake Date: May 21, 2025
Loki, one of our male resident Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), arrived at the Wildlife Medical Clinic on May 21, 2025 from another licensed Illinois rehabilitator. He originally was brought into the other rehabilitator after being found down on the ground and assumed to be hit by a vehicle. He was missing large patches of feathers and was low in weight. Once cleared medically, he was transferred to a licensed falconer who worked with him to re-condition or build up his strength for release. Once his conditioning was complete and he had molted all his feathers back in, he was released back into the wild by the falconer. The falconer kept an eye on him and noticed that he was not thriving in the wild and was having issues hunting. The falconer suspected that his vision was not great and was able to re-capture him and bring him into the Wildlife Medical Clinic for evaluation. Loki was then transferred to the Wildlife Medical Clinic where it was confirmed he had a large cataract in his left eye and very limited vision. Due to this injury, he cannot be released into the wild. However, because he had worked with a falconer and had a calm demeanor, it made him a great candidate to become a permanent resident and ambassador animal for the Wildlife Medical Clinic.
Fun Facts
Red-Tailed Hawks usually develop their famous red tail around a year of age, and their eyes change from yellow to brown around two years of age, when they are mature. These hawks are one of the largest birds in North America. Their shrieks are also quite magnificent; so much so, that most movies and TV shows use the cries of a Red-Tail Hawk for any eagle or hawk that appears on-screen!