Dr. Dana took hold of two talons and I inched closer to the exam table, eager to see how easily she could open the hawk's clenched foot. We were in the middle of Carson's annual exam at The Raptor Center and the veterinarian was ready to check her foot and clip overgrown talons.
During routine exams at the Museum, I am normally the one to grasp Carson's talons and attempt to open her foot. But this girl has the strongest toes I have ever encountered. I pull as hard as my arm strength will allow, but often fail in making her toes budge a centimeter.
Dr. Dana also gained an appreciation for this hawk's grip strength as she braced herself to try a second time. She eventually succeeded in prying Carson's toes open and we could hear a ratchet sound as the toes straightened. The first time I heard that sound and felt something popping inside a hawk's toes was unsettling. But this phenomenon - completely normal for raptors - is what gives Carson her immense grip strength.
A raptor talon is attached to a tendon that passes through a deeply-ridged sheath. The tendon locks into these ridges to maintain a firm grasp on the bird's meal, perhaps a tasty rabbit. The popping sound we heard as Carson's toes straightened was the tendon sliding across the sheath, much like someone running a fingernail across an old fashioned washboard.
Dr. Dana maintained a firm grip on Carson's outstretched toes and enlisted another clinic staff member to trim the talons. While she worked with the clipper, they had a friendly debate over which species (Red-tailed Hawks or Great Horned Owls) had the most difficult feet to pry open. Knowing how tight Carson's grip can be, I would put my money on Red-tailed Hawks having the strongest toes.
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