Aquila – Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle dwarfs most other raptors, including the Turkey Vulture and Red-tailed Hawk. It has a heavy body, large head, and long, hooked bill. In flight, a Bald Eagle holds its broad wings flat like a board. Adult Bald Eagles have white heads and tails with dark brown bodies and wings. Their legs and bills are bright yellow. Immature birds have mostly dark heads and tails; their brown wings and bodies are mottled with white in varying amounts. Young birds attain adult plumage in about five years. Their nests can be 8-9 feet across and weigh over a ton.   Bald Eagles scavenge many meals by harassing other birds or by eating carrion or garbage. They eat mainly fish, but also hunt mammals, gulls, and waterfowl. Look for Bald Eagles near lakes, reservoirs, rivers, marshes, and coasts. Aquila had a wing injury that resulted in the loss of the end of his right wing which keeps him from flying.

Aquila was named by Hamilton Telecommunications.

Strix – Barred owl

Strix was hit by a car as a juvenile, he sustained a broken wing. He was transferred here from a Virginia Wildlife rescue.  While healing he was placed with a foster Barred Owl to continue raising him.  He was released and returned to be with her, making him habituated (imprinted). They are nonmigratory and will nest in tree hollows around 20-40 ft high or nest boxes.  They have the classic hooting call, “Who cooks for you?”  They have very brown eyes and the brown-and-white striped plumage which is very good camouflage.  They are active at night (nocturnal), in and around the trees, often near water. They eat many kinds of small mammals, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates.

Red – Shoulder Hawk

Valor broke his left wing and is unable to fly.  He was found in Virginia as a juvenile male. Adults are colorful hawks with dark-and-white checkered wings and warm reddish barring on the breast. The tail is black with narrow white bands. Immatures are brown above and white below streaked with brown. All ages show narrow, pale crescents near the wingtips in flight. Red-shouldered Hawks soar over forests or perch on tree branches or utility wires. Its rising, whistled kee-rah is a distinctive sound of the forest. They hunt small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles either from perches or while flying. Look for Red-shouldered Hawks in deciduous woodlands, often near rivers and swamps. They build stick nests in a main crotch of a large tree.

American Kestrel – Jet

Jet was raised in a captive breeding program making him more comfortable around humans. The black vertical stripes on his face are distinctive for all falcons, they have a small cone tubercle in their nose and have a jagged protrusion on the upper and lower beak known as a “tomial tooth”.  They eat small rodents also grasshoppers, cicadas, dragonflies and spiders.  They nest in tree cavities and readymade nest boxes.  They are the most common and widespread falcon (over the years their #’s have been in decline due to habitat loss).  They also can end up as prey for other larger birds.  They can see in ultraviolet light and fly in a very fast stoop to chase their prey. Falcons also can hoover before going into the stoop.  Falcons symbolize speed, vision and strength.