Red-tailed Hawk - Ruby's Excellent Adventure
On May 11 a downy hawk chick arrived at FreeFlight having fallen from her nest, forever leaving her raptor family. Humans would have to teach her survival skills, flying, hunting, and capturing prey. This intense process began in June. A FF volunteer took on the main responsibility for Ruby's care and training. Fitted with anklets and jesses so she could be tethered to a creance for flight training, she was fed, exercised, and flown on a daily basis to hone her skills for identifying and capturing prey. As in falconry, her weight was monitored in a way to keep her keen and spontaneous. Ruby's handler devised new routines, went to new terrain to fly her further and keep her learning.
This schooling was rewarded by release on August 10 to an area abundant with prey, wildlife, trees, water, grasslands for her continued survival. This consummate experience was FreeFlight's first - from the raising of a chick, training, teaching flight, and the hunt, to the ultimate: RELEASE!
Aug 10, 2009
Photos: 7
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