Petunia is a female Red-tailed Hawk that came to the CRC in June 2022 as a juvenile bird who had likely only recently fledged from her nest. She was spotted standing on the side of the road near Esparto, CA, the person who noticed her thinking that perhaps she had been struck by a passing car. The person slowly approached her on foot and saw that Petunia did not fly away, instead hopping away to try to avoid him. Out of concern for her, the person was able to capture her and bring her into the CRC for evaluation.
A thorough examination and X-rays revealed no broken bones or other injuries; however, CRC staff noticed that Petunia’s left wing could not extend fully, likely the result of a subluxation (dislocation) of her wrist joint. With that being her only injury, CRC staff were hopeful that she could be returned to the wild and so we began several months of physical therapy to try to regain full extension of her wing. Sadly, these efforts were unsuccessful in restoring the full range of motion, without which Petunia would be unable to survive long on her own, as the injured wing would severely hamper her soaring and hunting abilities.
Once it was determined that Petunia was not releasable, and due to her relatively calm behavior around people, we thought she might be a good candidate to join the ranks of CRC’s other Ambassador Birds. With her we wanted to try using “positive reinforcement” training, meaning we would let her decide when she felt comfortable doing the tasks we would ask of her (e.g., eating in the presence of her trainers, stepping onto a gloved hand, allowing jesses to be attached). This process can take a good deal longer than traditional falconry training methods, but we believe it develops a stronger, more robust working relationship with the bird.
After approximately two years of working with her 4-6 days a week using this approach, Petunia’s trainers were able to gain her trust and develop a strong working relationship. Since then, Petunia continues to progress in her training, and has recently been moved into our public display area. While we would have much preferred to rehabilitate Petunia’s wing and release her back into her natural habitat, it has also been an incredibly rewarding journey to care for and work with this amazing bird, who was raised by her wild parents before coming to us.
With the proper care and health maintenance we will provide her, Petunia will have a good, long life with us, with the potential of living another 20+ years. We will continue to work with her throughout her life, and offer her as much enrichment as possible. And as a CRC Ambassador Bird, she will continue to provide the public with the opportunity to observe and appreciate the beauty and majesty of a wild Red-tailed Hawk for many years to come!