Hunters of the Sky exhibit. The birds are on loan from Washington State University Raptor Rehabilitation Program. The birds are healthy, but suffer from long-term conditions that make it impossible for them to survive in the wild. When he was a nestling, Taro's nest blew out of its tree, and he was found injured. He has recovered from most of his injuries, but still lacks strength in his left wing.
Kestrels are the most common falcon in the U.S., and the smallest.
Weighing just 3 or 4 ounces, they hunt for mice, insects, and small birds, catching their prey by diving at it at great speeds. Charlie, the red tailed hawk. Charlie was hit by a car when he was still a young bird. His wing and his skull were fractured, and he has never regained the kind of flight he would need to survive on his own. Charlie has been with WSU for 16 years and is six years older than the life expectancy of his species in the wild.