Gaea – Red Tail Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

“Gaea” the Red Tail Hawk was hit by a car in September 2007, and suffered a fractured shoulder. Not even a year old at the time, her bones healed quickly. But unfortunately, the healed callous that formed at the site of the break interfered with the rotation of her shoulder and we believed she would be unable to fly for life. Female raptors, like the Red Tail Hawk, are usually larger than the males, and Gaea weighed in at a massive 2 ½ pounds!

Gaea pleasantly surprised us by strengthening her wings and stretching her shoulder, and after being given large enclosures to encourage exercise she developed the ability to fly and hunt. Gaea was soft released (which means released from a known location with the ability to return for food whenever desired) and the volunteers that handled Gaea have spotted her flying with a mate.