As the weather gets warmer, groundhogs haven’t been the only animals popping up on campus. On April 27, a red tailed hawk was spotted at Carleton.
John Frederick, an operations technician, said he nicknamed the bird “Rita” after he spotted her on the ledge of his office window in Southam Hall.
According to Carleton biology professor Michael Runtz, red-tailed hawks are not uncommon–in fact, you can find them in almost any rural area, typically near fields or even off highway 401.
However, Runtz said, what makes this encounter so odd is the fact that the bird was so close to people.
“I’ve never seen one that close, so it was a nice experience,” Frederick said.
Frederick said the large bird had been flying up to the ledge by his office window for about a week. Each time the bird visited, he said, it seemed to be bringing twigs with it in an attempt to make a nest.
He added the hawk did not appear to have a mate, which he said was unusual given its nesting.
Runtz said the amount of time Rita has spent at Carleton makes the encounter odd as well.
“Having a red tailed hawk stay on campus for a few days is quite unusual,” Runtz said.
Red-tailed hawks may fly over campus every now and again, Runtz said, but to have them stay in a busy area such as Carleton is uncommon. He said they tend to stay closer to fields where they can hunt more easily.
It is likely that Rita was from the experimental farm nearby, Runtz said, and she ventured out to Carleton in search of prey.
When she first landed on Frederick’s office windowsill, he said the name “Rita” stuck.
“When you give an animal a name, you give it an identity,” Frederick said.
Rita isn’t the only campus bird with a name, though. Last year a wild turkey made several appearances, venturing so close to Carleton that animal control had to be called in to relocate him. He was nicknamed Tim the Turkey. Some students even made a Facebook group for fans of the turkey, which caused quite a stir on social media.
