Hawk diagnosed as ‘too fat to fly’ after overeating chickens and snoozing for weeks on end

A red-shouldered hawk in Virginia was rescued after being found grounded in a driveway. Wildlife staff said she was healthy but too heavy to fly, and traced her weight gain to repeatedly eating chickens left outdoors; the case highlights how human activity can affect wild animals’ health and safety.

The hawk weighed more than 910 grams, or about two pounds, compared with a typical weight of roughly one to 1.5 pounds for the species. A neighbour confirmed that chickens had been disappearing for weeks, while the hawk apparently ate and rested in nearby trees. The wildlife centre said being unable to fly left her vulnerable to predators and urged people not to feed wildlife, directly or indirectly.