Two young raptors, a red-tailed hawk and a kestrel falcon, were released into the wild from a mountain overlooking Cedar City on July 2, 2026. The birds had previously undergone rehabilitation at Enoch Wildlife Rescue.
The release event took place at the C Overlook trail on a mountain east of Cedar City, where spectators gathered to watch the birds return to their natural habitat.
Enoch Wildlife Rescue founder Martin Tyner spoke about the two birds during the event. He described the juvenile red-tailed hawk as a non-survivor that was found near death and had been abandoned by its parents. Tyner stated that the rescue used a feeding tube to return the hawk to health, noting that the bird has since learned to kill live food and has been in their care for approximately three or four weeks.
A volunteer released the red-tailed hawk after receiving handling instructions from Tyner. The release was observed by roughly three dozen onlookers.
The second bird released was a kestrel falcon, which Tyner noted is the smallest falcon species in North America. He highlighted the physical and flight differences between the large red-tailed hawk and the small kestrel falcon. Although the kestrel falcon was approximately 15 to 16 weeks old, it had reached its full size. A volunteer released the falcon, which flew away immediately.
Enoch Wildlife Rescue has scheduled its next bird release for Sunday, July 19, at 7 p.m. The upcoming release will involve three barn owls at the same C Overlook location.
