We are saddened to announce that Rosa, the California Raptor Center’s beloved and iconic Harris’s hawk, passed away over Memorial Day weekend. She was at least 28 years old and had resided at the CRC since 1999.

Prior to her arrival at the CRC, Rosa was a falconry bird who hunted game with her falconer for 9 years. When she developed wingtip edema—a swelling of the tissue at the “fingertips” of her wings—she lost all of her primary flight feathers, and those feathers could not regrow in the damaged tissue. Unable to fly, Rosa could no longer hunt. Her falconer generously donated her to the CRC so that she could live out the rest of her life as an educational ambassador for her species.

A big bird with a big personality, Rosa demanded attention and respect. Her characteristic Harris’s hawk call pierced the air multiple times a day, delighting (and sometimes terrifying) people who ventured near her enclosure. Rosa was unforgettable, so much so that returning guests and volunteers often inquired after her by name. She will be greatly missed by everyone at the CRC as well as the generations of visitors who got to know her over her many years with us. Thank you to everyone who helped care for Rosa by visiting the CRC, sponsoring her, and supporting our mission.