MARS Educational Ambassador, Scarlett, is a Red-Tailed Hawk and often appears with Reg at events.
Scarlett came to MARS from BC SPCA Wild ARC (Animal Rehabilitation Centre) in Victoria; they had rescued four red-tailed hawks, all "imprinted" birds (raised and kept by humans). It's speculated they were all from the same falconer who removed their identifying leg bands and released them, which is illegal.
Learn more about: Red-Tailed Hawks
Falconry birds are able to hunt, but because they've been raised away from their kind they lack the skills to find prey during lean seasons. Also, as they are imprinted on humans, they think they are human (or that humans are hawks).
Scarlett got into trouble in the wild; she was starving and kept returning to human habitations because that's where she thought she belonged. Someone found her sitting on a tree in their yard and called for help. The rescuer simply extended a gloved hand ~ not even with food ~ and Scarlett flew to it! That's how she arrived at Wild ARC.
Wild ARC's mandate does not include keeping educational birds, so they found a new home for her at MARS. Maj banded her right away. "She was a sassy little bird", Maj said, "bouncing around like an orangutan."
Scarlett was still young ~ she didn't have a red tail yet. She needed a calm, steady routine and just one handler, so Reg took over her care.
"Scarlet doesn't even speak hawk", Reg explains, "She makes these growling noises, the closest she can get to how I sound."
"Scarlet doesn't even speak hawk", Reg explains, "She makes these growling noises, the closest she can get to how I sound."