Water off a Red Tailed Hawk's back?

​Water resistant like water off a duck's back? This Red Tailed Hawk got awfully wet in the recent rains. She had a broken Radius which was wrapped to heal and she is now in an outside enclosures stretching her wings.

We say she because this is a larger bird. It is very difficult with most raptors to tell their sex, but with most of them, the larger birds are females.

The anatomy of a human arm and a bird wing are very similar. Both have a Radius and Ulna and frequently in birds if one or both of these bones are fractured, a wrap can work to heal them if the fractured bones are aligned.

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This bird is hopping and taking short flights to higher perches, so we are hopeful. Birds preen to spread a waxy substance through their feathers from a gland on their tail base which helps to make them water resistant. They also have special feathers called "powder downs" which are feathers that are constantly disintegrating into waterproof powder. This powder adds to the water-resistant quality of their feathers. 

A huge thanks to Jennifer from Stockton who brought this beautiful bird to
us for a second chance at life and FREEDOM!!

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