Feathery Friends
Gallery: 2024 Hawk Day
Setting up - Tallahassee Museum visited Maclay on Feb. 1. A speaker provided educational facts about animals at the zoo as well as live animals brought to Langford Hall.
Feathery Friends - One of the two birds showcased at Hawk Day was a Red Tailed Hawk. He was rescued recently and is almost a year old. He is not able to be released into the wild, so he educates people everyday while being cared for by the Tallahassee Museum.
Tiny But Mighty - A representative from Tallahassee Museum explains that Eastern Screech Owls typically do not get any bigger than 9.8 inches long. They look similar to a Great Horned Owl but much smaller. She also shares fun facts, saying “Owls really do have long legs.”
Challenges - The hawk showcased is held in captivity due to injury. He has limited ability after being hit by a car. As seen in the image, his right wing is visibly impaired.
Educating the Crowd - The speaker shows what a pellet looks like and explains how they are made. Pellets, or commonly called owl pellets, are small masses of undigested parts of a bird’s food. They can contain bones, seeds, plants and more.
Fun Facts - This particular hawk is very young and still learning to navigate life. He does not make the typical screech a wild hawk would make, but rather chirping noises.
Eastern Screech Owl - Similar to most raptors, the female Screech Owls tend to be larger than the males and are more agile hunters. These owls are nocturnal. It is likely you may hear them in your yard at night, but they are difficult to find due to their size.
Comparing Species - A variety of animal taxidermy was brought to compare and contrast the two birds compared to larger birds such as an Eagle.
Anatomy - The speaker explains that Eastern Screech Owls cannot rotate their eyes in any way. They are embedded into the bird’s head to make for better eyesight. Their eyes are larger making room for more rods and cones to make for better night vision. When the owl would like to see its surroundings it must rotate its head.
Comments