Otto, a widowed Syracuse University red-tailed hawk, dies five days after mating

Otto, a red-tailed hawk at Syracuse University, died last week, five days after the death of his friend Sue-Sue.

On January 19, students in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Forestry at the State University of New York walking through Oakwood Cemetery reported a dead red-tailed hawk lying on the ground. They contacted Ann Marie Higgins, an avid birdwatcher who maintains a Red-tailed Hawk Tales Facebook page. Higgins confirmed that the dead hawk was Otto.

The rehabilitator who examined Sue determined that the bird had symptoms consistent with a head injury prior to death. It is unclear what caused Otto’s death. Higgins took the carcasses of both birds to Cornell University’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center for analysis and will post updates on her Facebook page when available.

According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the oldest known wild red-tailed hawk was a 30-year-old bird from Michigan. Scientific studies show that the average lifespan of wild red-tailed hawks is 10 to 20 years. It was believed that Otto and Sue were 13-14 years old.

Otto, a widowed SU hawk, died five days after his buddy.

In a live feed from a nest camera screenshot in 2021, Su-Sue’s (left) and Otto’s (right) red-tailed hawks are repairing their nest.Photo by Anne Marie Higgins

Since 2012, Otto and Sue have raised 28 cubs in nests located on the ledges of buildings overlooking the Syracuse University campus. However, not all chickens survived. One died in 2016 after being hit by a window, and a chick from last year’s brood died of an infection.

In 2017, Higgins donated funds to install a camera near their nest and live-streamed the couple’s exploits during the breeding season to thousands of dedicated birders and wildlife enthusiasts. As the hawks changed nests on campus, Higgins’ cameras followed. Altogether, Higgins installed eight cameras.

Thousands of people from all over the world followed Higgins’ Facebook page. Many expressed “sadness along with gratitude for the years we have spent watching this majestic couple and their chicks,” Higgins said. “They brought us a lot of joy and we will miss them very much.”

“This is a tragedy for Syracuse University, the local community and the many dedicated fans around the world,” Higgins added.

Steve Featherstone lights outdoors for The Post-Standard, syracuse.com and NYUP.com. Contact him at [email protected] or on twitter @featheroutdoors. You can also follow all of our outdoor content at newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/ or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/upstatenyoutdoors.

READ MORE

Sue, Syracuse University’s beloved red-tailed hawk, dies after being found injured on campus – syracuse.com

“One Lucky Bird”: Wounded young red-tailed hawk recovers and then released near SU campus

Pop! Ping! At the shooting range with the new star of the US Biathlon Team in Lake Placid

Chinese fisherman tries early ice on Oneida Lake and catches good walleye

Huge fish, coyote hunters and jumping worms: our favorite stories from upstate New York in 2022

Content Source

California Press News – Latest News:
Los Angeles Local News || Bay Area Local News || California News || Lifestyle News || National news || Travel News || Health News

Related Articles

Back to top button