Viral hawk that ate too many chickens is flying again after losing weight

A hawk that became too fat to fly after feasting on chickens and sleeping all day is finally able to fly again after losing weight.

The red-shouldered hawk (RSHA) was taken in by the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke after being found grounded in a driveway.

Staff discovered she weighed more than 910 grams (2 lbs), having apparently spent weeks eating a neighbor’s free-range chickens before sleeping in nearby trees.

Overweight hawk starts flying again after losing 130g

In an update shared on Facebook, the wildlife center revealed that the bird has lost approximately 130 grams (4.6 oz) in a little over a month thanks to a combination of diet and exercise.

“Update on the Queen Herself, Miss RSHA 26-2599. She’s flying again!” the center wrote.

“Now, with some extra weight off, she’s starting to fly once again!”

However, the hawk isn’t quite ready to return to the wild. Despite her progress, staff say she remains significantly overweight and can only manage a handful of laps around her flight enclosure before becoming exhausted.

“There’s still a long way to go until release, but we’re thrilled with the progress!” the center explained.

“She is still significantly overweight for an adult RSHA, and she can only do 4-5 laps in her flight pen before she’s exhausted (it’s a lot of bird to keep in the air, after all!)”

The bird previously attracted widespread attention after the wildlife center revealed that her weight had left her unable to fly, despite examinations finding no obvious injuries or other health problems.

While there’s still no confirmed date for her release, the center thanked everyone who had followed her recovery.

“We LOVE how much everyone has responded to this story, and we couldn’t have imagined how popular she would be!”