Rhett

Rhett is a male Eastern Red-tailed Hawk.  Following his rescue and rehabilitation in Georgia, he was adopted by the Alaska WildBird Rehabilitation Center in late 2007.  As a first year bird just learning to fly he was shot, and 3 pellets remain in his body, 2 in the left wing and one in his neck. 

Although he has no external injuries, it is thought the pellets cause pain similar to arthritis, and make it difficult to fly and therefore survive.  He was released following his initial medical care, but was found thin and weak near his release site and returned to the rehab center.
     
​There is a national network of education centers, zoos, and other facilities permitted to have live wild birds, where healthy, but non-releasable birds can be listed for adoption.  Rhett was found on this network, and AWBRC has in turn found homes in other centers for birds we have rehabilitated.

Eastern Red-Tailed hawks in the wild...