Zelda
Gray Hawk Ambassador
Female
2022 / Juvenile
Head trauma
About Zelda
Zelda was found on the ground in southern AZ near the side of the road, where it is assumed she had been hit by a car. Upon intake, there were signs of imbalance and trauma to her left eye. After supportive care, she was placed outside to see if she would hunt on her own. It quickly became clear she was too calm, and had a delayed response to situations that should be alarming for a hawk. For this reason, she is non-releasable and has become an exciting addition to the education team.
Description
Grey Hawks are medium sized with short, rounded wings with a fairly long black and white banded tail. They are pale gray below, with a darker gray back.
Habitat
Gray Hawks in Arizona enjoy large mesquite woodlands along streams and rivers. Cottonwoods and Arizona walnut trees are preferred nesting sites.
Range
Gray Hawks migrate from Mexico in March to southern AZ and southern parts of TX and leave in October.
Life Span
Gray Hawks live about 10 to 12 years in the wild and up to 20 in captivity.
Prey / Food
Gray Hawks prey consists of the whiptail lizard, horned lizard and tree lizards. They can also consume snakes, and some species of toads. They have also been known to eat nestling songbirds, cottontails, woodrats and deer mice.
Babies / Nests
Gray Hawks lay 1 – 4 eggs in a clutch. Babies hatch after about 32 – 34 days. Youngsters leave the nest around 6 weeks, but often return for rest. Gray Hawks nest in the upper half of trees. Both male and female build the nest using small, leafy twigs, often lining the nest with cottonwood and willow leaves.
Native American Folklore
Native peoples throughout north America, consider Hawk as an important symbol of wisdom, courage, strength and freedom. Hawk appears in Native stories, dances, and ceremonies as a messenger from the spirit world, moving between the Creator and humankind, conveying wisdom and warnings from above. Like Hawk soaring overhead, the Creator watches over the world below and communicates through winged messengers.
Hawk’s most celebrated attribute among Native people is his mastery of flight. Seeing Hawk slowly circling overhead signals a time for reflection, to acknowledge the Creator’s presence and seek higher guidance. The hunting Hawk teaches that patience is the pathway to enlightenment.
Hawk’s incredibly sharp eyesight symbolizes the wisdom that allows Hawk the ability to foresee events and opportunities that others cannot. Hawk uses his powerful eyesight to gain perceptive knowledge.
Stories depicting Hawk’s sharp eyesight are common in Native folklore. In one Cherokee story, Hawk warns villagers of impending danger approaching from afar that no one else could see. Hawk’s vigilance and vision saved the tribe, emphasizing the values of foresight and preparedness.
Natives use Hawk in their religious rituals as he possesses the power and strength to carry prayers to the Creator. Elders smoke ceremonial pipes toward the sky to send tobacco smoke up to messengers like Hawk.
Hawk is a symbol of physical power and authority equivalent to chiefs and warriors. Hawk’s sharp talons and beak evolved for hunting. Braves wear hawk talons and feathers to invoke the bird’s swiftness and predatory capabilities. In ledger drawings, braves are often depicted with hawk talons and feathers to show their status as mighty warriors.
Navajo people believe that Hawk is the companion of the sun, and his flight patterns across the sky represent sunshine spreading across the earth.
© 2025 Liberty Wildlife - Privacy Policy