With deep sadness we annouce the passing of Mikey, the CRC's beloved red-shouldered hawk. Mikey passed away sometime in the night between Monday, August 13th and Tuesday, August 14th.

At 22 years of age, Mikey (aka "Mishka") was one of the CRC's most senior citizens. An elderly individual for his species, he had resided at the CRC since his hatch year in 1996. He arrived at the CRC's nursery as a down-covered chick that had been blown out of his nest during a storm. Though the rest of his body grew normally, his right eye did not: it shrank and recessed into its socket, becoming non-visual and nearly invisible to onlookers (a condition known as phthisis bulbi). This visual impairment rendered Mikey non-releasable, so the young red-shouldered hawk remained as a permanent resident at the CRC.

Mikey was the CRC's sentinel and a perennial favorite of visitors, particularly the children he would delight by calling and flying down to his front perch to shred mice in front of an audience. His red-shouldered hawk call rivaled Rosa's Harris's hawk scream, ringing out over the grounds multiple times a day, especially when people walked by his enclosure. He also carried on a noisy rapport with the wild red-shouldered hawks whose territory encompasses the CRC. On the glove and in his exhibit, Mikey made his presence known, cementing his place as one of the most memorable, long-term core birds in our permanent collection. He will be sorely missed by staff, volunteers, and visitors.