Usually any talk of hawks in Washington D.C. involves heated discussions over arcane bits of policy and political machinations.
But the White House is eagerly following the movement of one hawk of the red-tailed variety.
The bird has become a regular of late on the White House grounds and this is one uninvited guest that’s actually welcome.
In fact, the White House is inviting the public to use their “eagle eye to spy a hawk.”
The White House also used interest in the hawk to stress the administration's push on addressing climate change.
"But as we admire and appreciate the animals that have learned to live in our backyards, it’s important to remember that it’s becoming increasingly difficult for much of the world’s wildlife to adapt to the changes that humans are imposing on our shared planet," Tamara Dickinson principal assistant director for environment and energy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy wrote on their blog. "Consider, for example, the effects that climate change is having on birds. Rising average temperatures, more extreme weather events, and sea-level rise are all forcing bird populations out of their natural habitats and ranges. There’s also strong evidence that climate change induces behavioral changes in birds, altering migration and breeding patterns."
According to the New York Times, the bird has been seen stalking prey on the White House lawn, "including last week when it dived and grabbed an unfortunate squirrel and tore into it at lunchtime right in Mr. Obama’s driveway."
