SRP Quints

In the last week of March, an SRP crew was getting ready to re-route one of their large power transmission lines located near Apache Junction, east of Phoenix. When the men went up into the big towers that support the lines, they found what appeared to be an active nest of red-tailed hawks. Through our partnership with SRP, the Conservation team was called and, in concert with the SRP people, evaluated the nest, its inhabitants, and its prognosis for survival.

1st day at Liberty 5 little guys	It was determined that it was, in fact, a viable and active nest. The tower it was in did have to be moved and a lot of construction was going to be taking place in the area. Because of this, it was decided that the nest would not survive a move. A permit was obtained and the date set to relocate the baby hawks that were known to be alive in the nest. The Conservation team arrived and when the mother left to feed herself, the SRP crew went up to the nest to extract the babies. As a confused and frustrated father hawk watched, first one, then two healthy baby red-tails were removed from the nest and lowered to the waiting Liberty team. But wait! A third baby then came out. Good genetics at work here! And then another…four! In a good year, red-tails will fledge one or two babies. In a very good year, maybe three will hatch and be healthy. Four is outstanding! Just when Laura and the crew were marveling at this large clutch, another one was extracted! FIVE healthy baby red-tailed hawks in the same
nest: truly a testament to the strength of the parents and their ability to produce and care for such an extraordinarily large clutch. When the ornithological journals speak of breeding successes in the RTH population, they say "one, normally two, possibly three, rarely four…" the number five isn't even mentioned in most reports.
The babies were placed in a warm carrier and taken straight to Liberty, where they were placed in a brooder. Over the next few weeks, they grew rapidly into strong young fledglings. When they became large enough to feed themselves, the quints moved out into a mew with two adult foster parents who continued to watch and protect the young birds as they grew. Now, around two months old, they are hard to tell from the foster parents in size, only their gray and black striped tails and light bluish-gray eyes differentiating them from the beautiful adults they will hopefully become upon their release.	Outside on April 4th

Although the nest was destroyed, (and the father had some explaining to do when mom returned!) we all hope that this pair finds each other again next year in breeding season and can keep this gene pool going!

The runt	One orphan
Quints April 09	The quints April 13
Mom and five fosters April 23	The quints learn to fly