​Canaan is a female red-tailed hawk (Bueto jamaicensis) from West Virginia’s Canaan Valley. In 2013, when she was about one-year old, she was illegally shot and is missing the tip of her left wing as a result. Luckily, one of the ACCA’s veterinarians, Dr. Jesse Fallon, was on a fishing trip in the Canaan Valley with two of his friends from veterinary school. They were able to capture the injured hawk. We like to joke that Canaan flagged down a truck full of veterinarians after she was hurt.

Red-tailed hawks are the most common large hawk in West Virginia, and one of the ACCA’s most common patients. In the wild, they eat a variety of prey, including mice, rats, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, snakes, and birds. Red-tailed hawks will also scavenge on carrion.

Canaan now lives at our Outdoor Classroom in Cheat Lake. She enjoys sitting on her large swinging perch and watching visitors. Canaan has several special platforms to accommodate her wing handicap, and she has a heated roosting box to help her stay warm on chilly nights.
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If you would like to support Canaan's care, you can send her a bag of frozen mice or small rats  — she will greatly appreciate it! They can be shipped directly to our mailing address (ACCA, 286 Fairchance Road, Morgantown, WV, 26508) from Rodent Pro. Thank you for supporting the care of this beautiful raptor!

For more information on this species: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/