A fine place for a hawk to gawk
Echo the red-tailed hawk now has a brand new aviary all her own, one that is twice as large as her old enclosure. A big thank you to Tom Grant and Beauty Schools Directory for donating it!
Echo is one of the animals permitted by state and federal wildlife authorities to be under lifelong care as an educational bird at Best Friends. She lost the tip of one of her wings a few years back, which unfortunately has left her unable to fly. But she can still glide, and her spacious new home—at 24 feet wide, 36 feet long, and 12 feet high—allows her to do so to her heart’s content.
Outfitted with plenty of perches, trees, shrubs, and a nice A-frame shelter, the aviary sits next to a small employee parking lot—for a good reason. "Echo is an extremely curious bird, and loves to watch everything that’s going on," wildlife rehabilitator Carmen Smith says. The more activity the better. The cars and people going past, and the screeching coming from the nearby parrot garden, keep Echo entertained.
She was a little tentative at first about going into the aviary, but once safely inside, she went straight to investigating, trying out every elevated surface and getting into the trees. But her favorite surface so far is the highest one—on the apex of the shelter. You're likely to find her majestically and comfortably perched there, keeping an eye on the comings and goings around her new home.
Story by Ted Brewer
Photos by Molly Wald
To see what else the animals are wishing for, check out the Best Friends wish list!
https://www.bestfriends.org/donate/wishlistsp04.cfm