Tarot arrived to Back to Nature in July 2009. She was adopted from the Folke Peterson Wildlife Center in South Florida after the facility closed down. Tarot was originally brought to the wildlife center because she was shot by a pellet gun and suffered right wing injuries. Her wing was broken and 2 pellets still remain inside. The pellets are lodged in an area, too unsafe to remove. Due to the severity of the injury Tarot is unable to fly more than a few feet. During her rehabilitation at Folke Peterson, her immune system was compromised and she developed “bumblefoot” (a bacterial infection of the feet]. Tarot’s condition is chronic and weekly checks are necessary maintenance for her. She is an “educational ambassador” for her species and serves as example of the results of cruelty to wildlife.
*Tarot has been known to fall asleep in the hands of her caretakers while be treated for her bumblefoot.
Facts about The Red Tailed Hawk
The Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the “chickenhawk”. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies, and is one of the most common raptors in North America. There are fourteen recognized subspecies, which vary in appearance and range. It is one of the largest members of the genus Buteo in North America, typically weighing from 690 to 1,600 g (1.52 to 3.53 lb) and measuring 45–65 cm (18–26 in) in length, with a wingspan from 110–145 cm (43–57 in).
The Red-tailed Hawk occupies a wide range of habitats and altitudes, including deserts, grasslands, coniferous and deciduous forests, tropical rainforests, agricultural fields and urban areas. It lives throughout the North American continent, except in areas of unbroken forest or the high arctic.
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