Picky eaters

Birds can be picky eaters just like some humans you probably know. Food preferences vary by species and the individual bird. Falcons, for example, are built for speed so they are great at catching fast prey, like other birds.  Aldo, our American kestrel, doesn’t follow the falcon trend, however.  He often leaves pieces of quail or chicks leftover, preferring to indulge himself on mouse day.  Carson (red-tailed hawk) has similar preferences during training sessions. She moves slowly when she finds out quail is on the menu, but nearly falls off the perch reaching for a bit of mouse or rat. That’s not surprising since she would focus on small mammals if she were in the wild. Other birds are easier to please. Great horned owls are beasts: known as “tigers of the night,” they will eat anything they can get their talons on. Theo (great horned owl) is happy to take any piece of food we offer.