A red-shouldered hawk brought to a wildlife centre in Virginia was found to be too overweight to fly after feasting on a neighbour's free-ranging chickens.
The mature bird was discovered grounded in a driveway about a mile from the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center. Staff checked for what they called the 'usual suspects' but found no broken bones, lead toxicity, eye issues, head trauma, emaciation, or bruising from a collision or altercation.
Weighed and diagnosed
When the hawk was weighed, the number on the scales raised further questions. In a Facebook post, the facility wrote: 'At over 910g in weight, she was too darn fat to fly! We couldn't even palpate her keel due to the heavy layer of fat covering it.'
The centre noted it is 'rare for wild animals to become obese without human intervention', leading them to consider whether she was a lost falconry bird, an escaped and illegally kept captive hawk, or a bird being fed by someone else. All of these possibilities were ruled out, so staff asked the finder whether any neighbours kept free-ranging chickens.
Mystery solved
After a couple of weeks of investigating, the finder reported that the neighbours' free-roaming chickens had been disappearing at an 'alarming rate'. The post read: 'Our mystery was very likely solved! This queen was picking off the buffet of easy prey set out before her, eating her fill, and then snoozing in the trees nearby until she was ready to eat again.'
'The chickens were let out in the morning, she ate another, and repeat. After weeks of repeating this feasting and sleeping, it's no wonder she got too fat to fly!'
Social media reaction and warning
Social media users responded with humour, with Momma Studley joking: '2026 and still out here body shaming😂' Garrett Corliss said: 'The diagnosis Fat has sent me.' John Teran wrote: 'Her face is the face of a raptor who will do this again', while Krista Spaulding Gremos added: 'Girl….I understand!! 🤣'
Despite the amusement, the animal experts stressed a 'sobering reality'. They warned: 'This is a man-made issue, and this could have had a sadder ending if she had been found by a larger predator instead of the finder. Without flight, she is extremely vulnerable.' They added: 'Moral of the story: Don't feed wildlife… Directly OR indirectly. 🐔😉 Also, covered runs are the way to go for chicken keeping!'
