Hawk Eye

I have seen hawks resting on the wind in their slow circles across the sky and was delighted by their graceful dignity. I have seen hawks perched in the treetops and been captured by a closer look at their beauty. Once I saw a hawk hunting for a morsel on four legs by the side of the road while I paused for a stoplight just fifteen feet away and was mesmerized. It flew off before the light changed, or I might have pissed off the drivers lined up behind me. 

Sometime early in this year, an urge came over me that did not dissipate as urges often do. It stayed with me -- and the desire to know what it would be like to have a hawk perched on my arm gradually became something Important. I knew there were people at the forest preserve wildlife center who sometimes gave presentations on birds of prey. In photographs I saw injured birds brought there for healing perched on the caretaker’s arm. I saw in movies that hawks could be trained as hunters and would sit on their master’s arm as a perch.

I wondered what that must be like. Could I have that experience?

As you can see, my wish was granted. I went out on a limb (pun intended) and asked about it at the Willowbrook Wildlife Center when we took granddaughter Katie there. The timing was incredible as my trail led me to the Northern Illinois Raptor Center*. 

On June 10, Maggie, who is also a hawk lover and in fact a hawk magnet (she is always having close encounters), and I attended the Get to Know a Raptor presentation in nearby Hoffman Estates. As I said, the timing was incredible. NIRC is a new group just spreading its wings (pun intended), and this was their way to get their message out to the public. They house and care for birds of prey who are unable to survive in the wild. At the presentation I learned many things, which I am compelled to share with you. I think this is all fascinating ...

Birds of prey molt once a year. Their feathers drop out and are replaced with new feathers. This process takes place very gradually. What’s interesting is that when one feather on a wing comes out, a comparable feather in the same position on the other wing drops out simultaneously. Always. That way their wings are always in balance for flight. 

Owls have eyes that are embedded in their skulls. This is called binocular vision because both eyes see the same (close one of your eyes and then the other to see the difference in your vision). To look from side to side, owls have to rotate their whole heads. But they are built with the ability to rotate almost 360 degrees.

Great horned owls hunt at dawn and at dusk. There is more gold around the irises of their eyes to indicate the light range.

Barred owls hunt at night and their eyes are solid black. Beautiful. Their coloring is a pattern of black and white to camouflage their bodies.

Owls’ hunting skills rely on hearing as well as acute night vision. Their large, round, disc-shaped heads augment their hearing reception.

If a peregrine falcon were in a race for speed with a cheetah, the cheetah would come in second. The peregrine falcon’s top speed is 200 mph.

All falcons have dark markings under their eyes. A kestrel is a type of falcon.

The largest eagles can have a wing span of seven feet. 

80% of red tailed hawks die during their first year for a number of reasons. - it’s not easy being a hawk.

Hawks mate for life. But they are only together during breeding season.

Birds of prey in captivity do not like to be touched. They do not like when someone comes up behind them suddenly.

Owls eat their food whole. Later their bodies regurgitate the parts of the animal that they can’t use. They throw up pellets, which are sometimes studied.

Carion. The dead bodies that some birds of prey feed on.

Turkey vultures defend themselves from predators by projectile vomiting on them.

If a bird is taken from the nest before its eyes open, it imprints with the thief rather than its mother. That seriously and profoundly handicaps the bird from developing into the bird it should be. Imprinting determines its instincts, its identity and its means of survival. These birds must be cared for. Even though they are physically healthy, they cannot survive in the wild. They think they are humans.

The above statement explains why the Northern Illinois Raptor Center must care for their six birds of prey. Only one of them, the kestrel, came to them because of an injury. Stupid people think it would be cool/brave/fun to take a baby or an egg from the nest and raise it for a pet. And then change their minds. Very sad for the birds.

Maggie and I and the others were then led outside with the birds and taught how to hold the tether lines that are attached to the bird’s leg in trading off from one person to the other. The trade-off took place within a special “house” in case of an oops. I had a turn with the great horned owl first and then later with the red tailed hawk - who really wanted to fly away. But couldn’t. There was a lot of flapping and re-perching. It gave me a sense of his strength, his size, his nature. Also, a sense of his plight. Maggie had a turn with the owl and the pretty little kestrel. Everyone there was grinning. It was a very peaceful, moving experience. 

What struck me the most was the eye contact with each bird. This must be a reflection of the imprinting experience. Normally birds in the wild never look directly at me. But they do feel my eyes on them, and usually fly away.

Not these birds. They looked directly in my eyes. And they were literally inches away. I was in heaven. And I will remember this experience and my greater understanding from now on, especially when I look up and smile to see a hawk in flight ... or notice one in a nearby tree. I will remember and take great pleasure in seeing them not up close, but in the way they are meant to be. 

*The NIRC is a charitable 501(c) (3) organization that was formed to bring together different groups of specialists in the area of birds of prey, which includes Education, Conservation, Research, Veterinary Medicine and the unique cultural heritage of Falconry. They are located at Vogelei Park in Hoffman Estates.

The NIRC offers a variety of educational programs that can be tailored to the audience. Through lecture and demonstration, children and adults will learn about the physical and behavioral traits that make the raptor different from other birds.NIRC offers a unique opportunity to see these raptors up close and learn about the importance of their conservation. For more information contact Barbara Schmidt at bschmidt@tnirc.org.