Chesterland, our Harris’s Hawk, was bred in captivity by a falconer from Chesterland, OH, and was gifted to our program by a VINS volunteer, allowing us to work with a fully-flighted bird that would not be found locally. Chesterland has surpassed our wildest dreams for what a hawk could do!

Out of any of our birds, Chesterland can do the longest and most impressive flight demonstrations. During our outdoor programs, he chases a rabbit-shaped lure and catches bits of mice out of midair. He has even thrilled visitors by flying right over their heads as he sails from trainer to trainer. He is one of the most energetic birds we work with, and is often impatient to fly. Although he occasionally decides to fly somewhere we’d prefer he didn’t – a tree branch during our outdoor programs, or the light fixtures in the classroom – he is eager to return to the glove and is therefore one of our most trustworthy and dependable birds.