Big Red is an adult male Red-Tailed Hawk. Big Red was hit by a car as a juvenile and suffered injuries on the right side of his body. Owl Moon Raptor Center took excellent care of him and he is now able to fly normally. Unfortunately he remains blind in his right eye. A hawk with only one good eye doesn't have the depth perception he needs to capture prey, easily loses sight of prey that flees to his blind side and is more likely to fly into obstacles. His chance of survival in the wild would be slim. 

Big Red came to the Secret Garden as an adult on November 7, 2014 - our first bird! He has responded well to the falconry training that allows him more freedom than most of our other birds. He is well behaved and a joy to watch. Although he will never be a champion hunter, this training has allowed him to spread his wings and do many of the things he would do naturally in the wild giving him an excellent quality of life. ​

Big Red

Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)