Management-related stress in the red-shouldered hawk

Disturbance stress can prevent or disrupt successful management of captive birds of prey. Using heart rate as an indicator of stress, two female red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus) were monitored via radio telemetry. Spontaneous heart rate fluctuations in response to stressors involved in management-related activities, as well as some in response to naturally occurring activities, were recorded. In nearly every case, stressors caused dramatic increases in the heart rate of each bird, the magnitude of which was directly related to the degree of human contact involved. The increased heart rates occurred in response to stressors whether or not any behavioral stress symptoms were exhibited. Under the conditions of this study, the use of a falconer's hood did not completely eliminate stress in restrained hawks.