Page 27 - June-July 2015 Magazine For Flipbook

Feathered Friends at the
California Raptor Center

Swainson's hawk, Grasshopper

Grasshopper arrived at the center in 2006 and was found to have cataracts
that could not be completely removed. He’ll never see well enough to hunt.
Swainson’s hawks typically feast on insects nine months of the year and enjoy
eating grasshoppers and locusts, thus Grasshopper was so named. He’s known
for remaining extremely calm with his trainer and so he also participates in
off-site presentations.
Photo: Trina Wood, UC Davis
School of Veterinary Medicine

Red-tailed hawks, Diego and Angel

Diego is a red-tailed hawk with a poorly healed shoulder fracture. He
worked well with two trainers and then became willing to work with
several trainers He can be feisty and prefers staying in his cage to meet
his public.
Angel is a female red-tailed hawk who lives at the CRC. She was
treated and released, but subsequently failed to thrive in the wild. She
flew well enough, but tended to crash into the ground at full speed. UC
Davis veterinarians found that her eyesight was fine and diagnosed
her for a brain lesion that affects her landing ability. Since there was
no way to correct her condition, she was non-releasable. With Angel,
the taming process didn’t work. In fact, she became more agitated and
aggressive rather than calmer. Thus, she now serves as an ambassador
while remaining in her cage, and yet on display for visitors to enjoy.
Photo: Trina Wood, UC Davis School
of Veterinary Medicine

June/July 25