By Rebekah Gano, ABNC Instructor and Curriculum Specialist

Have you noticed the large hawk in the LyondellBasell aviary near the admissions building at ABNC? The recent arrival, Skyler the red-tailed hawk, came to Armand Bayou Nature Center to be an animal ambassador on December 20, 2023. (Not to worry, the quail were safely moved to another enclosure before the predator landed!)  Before arriving at ABNC, Skyler served a 6-year ambassadorship at Bay Area Wildlife Rehabilitation and worked with ABNC’s animal specialist Chris Vazquez for over 200 hours. 

Just how did she become an animal ambassador? The first two years of a young red-tailed hawk’s life is particularly dangerous, as the inexperienced bird learns to fly, hunt, and identify hazards. Only about 20% of hatchlings will live to be a year old. In 2016, when Skyler was about a year old, she was found in Anahuac and appeared to have been hit by a car. 

Young Skyler suffered a broken ulna, near the elbow of her wing, and a shoulder injury. Fortunately, Bay Area Wildlife Rehabilitation staff cared for Skyler and helped her heal. Her rehabilitation process took about a year. Although Skyler regained much of her mobility and vitality, her wing still droops, and she cannot obtain much upward flight motion. Along with flapping her wings, she uses a lot of leg muscle to propel herself up to her perches; however, she can easily glide downward. 

Most adult red-tailed hawks soar effortlessly and can fly 20-40mph. When diving for prey, a red-tailed hawk may reach speeds of 120mph! Due to Skyler’s inability to fly, and consequently hunt, she is non-releasable and relies on humans for food.

Like other birds of prey, Skyler has excellent vision, a hooked beak, and sharp, curved talons. She is strictly a carnivore. While other red-tailed hawks might prefer lizards, small birds, snakes or young rabbits, Skyler’s favorite food is mice. 

Red-tailed hawks are some of the largest raptors in the area, having up to 4-foot wingspans, yet weighing only about 1.5-4 pounds. Female hawks are typically larger than males. Skyler is a smaller bird and weighs about 2 lbs. 

Although red-tailed hawks are known for their loud calls which are often used as bald eagle cries in movies, Skyler has so far been non-vocal. She does respond to friendly human voices, however, so softly greet Skyler when you pass by, and she may start to recognize you. 

Given that hawks can live for over 20 years, we hope that Skyler will be helping people learn more about raptors and connecting us with nature for years to come.