annie2

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Comment by Wes Ornick on December 19, 2008 at 21:16

Well Annie, is a female -- females are always large in the raptor world ...but she is geriatric and not young...close to 24 years old. She has imprinted on people at an early age. We got a call she was on someone's porch and knowing raptor's behavior, that is very unusual. Upon arriving we saw she had jesses or leather straps, so we knew she was illegally being trained in falconry. Unfortunately, but fortunately she escaped her captors but never did learn to hunt or use her talons...so she would not make it even back when we discovered her and she adapted to people and relies on us. I can hold her without a glove. She does not use the talons for balance and to hold her food down when she tears at it and eats.

She has outlived her expectancy since it is impossible to age them,. but we knew she was mature or a sexually-active female 18 or so years ago and she has the signs...cataracts, sensitivity to light, arthritis and just last winter a mini-stroke :( but she is still an awesome bird to work with.

Red-tailed hawk -- yes...I have many more photos of her at Pow-wows, schools, etc....she rocks

Comment by WWM on December 19, 2008 at 6:37

Hi Wes Ornick...!
Now... I'm puzzled a bit...
Could this one (annie2) be a young red-tailed...? I'm far from being an expert... but the faint pattern into the breast... well... I guess many other species might have similar patterns....
Great shot, nevertheless..!
Thanks for sharing!
wwm

Comment by oldwarhorse3 on December 19, 2008 at 0:19

Guess I missed you in the chat room. I asked where you got "Annie" from. She's beautiful!