Releasing a Red-tail

I had the opportunity to band an adult female Red-tailed Hawk today.  Not one I caught but one that is being released back into the wild after having been flown by a falconer for a couple of seasons.  I was contacted by Dave Frederick of Owosso, MI about banding his bird before he released it.  He was curious to see if the bird would hang around or return to his home after being let go.  I was unaware that falconers released their birds after a season of hunting, so I was interested in seeing if the bird would leave permanently or not as well.

So, we met halfway between our respective towns and I banded the bird.  You can see the band in the photo below has a tab at the back.  Unlike the bands we use for songbirds that just butt together, hawks and other birds of prey can pry those type off.  So, we use an aluminum band that has a tab that folds over on itself and locks the band in place.  You can see she still had the jesses (the leather straps that falconer use to restrain their birds) on below the band.  Dave removed these of course before releasing her and she is now flying free again.

The thing I found interesting about Dave's bird was how tawny she was underneath.  I'm so used to Michigan Red-tails (and all eastern red-tails) being so creamy white on the breast and belly.  This bird had such a nice warm tone to her underparts.

Hopefully, she will be able to segue easily back into a wild lifestyle.  While it is too late for her to find a mate and nest this season, she should be able to next year.  My hope (and his) is that Dave never sees her again.  But if a Red-tail does show up around his house, now he has the ability to make a possible identification if it is wearing a band.