Young Red-Tailed Hawks Fail To Thrive

The following story about red-tailed hawks was submitted by the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah.

In July of 2021, we received two juvenile red-tailed hawks several weeks apart that happened to be picked up within 5 miles of each other in Logan, Utah. Whether they are siblings or not is unclear. At intake both were severely underweight and dehydrated. With no other injuries, we assume they failed to thrive due to extreme drought, heat, and the lack of prey base we have experienced in 2021.

The initial weights of the light morph and intermediate morph red-tailed hawks were 528 grams (about 1.2 pounds) and 538 grams (about 1.2 pounds) respectively. Together, we affectionately referred to them as the Skinny Minis.

Our treatment plan began with rehydration using lactated ringers. We then switched them over to EmerAid IC Carnivore fed three times a day until they were strong enough for whole foods. In September of 2021 this pair was released. Both weighed just over 1,000 grams (about 2.2 pounds).