MIKIE
Species: Parabuteo unicinctus, Harris’s Hawk • Hatch Year: 1991 • Sex: Male • Disability: Human Imprint
‘Mikie’ was hatched in captivity in 1991, and at approximately ten days old was placed in the nest of a Golden Eagle breeding pair at the American Eagle Foundation.
The Golden Eagles took care of him for 2-3 weeks, at which time their own offspring was about ten days old. We believe that Mikie thinks he’s more of a Golden Eagle than a Hawk. Formerly one of the many stars at our Wings of America show at Dollywood, Mikie is now enjoying a well-deserved retirement.
ABOUT THIS SPECIES
Harris’s hawks are very social birds! Often called Wolves of the Sky, they hunt in packs in order to catch bigger prey. They’re also known to help their parents raise new broods of young, which proves their sociability. They are desert birds and can be found in the southwest. If you’re lucky, you might see a few of these birds ‘back stacking’ on top of another in the wild to gain predatory advantage or simply to find a spot to perch.