yes





Eyelid

The bird's eyelid closes over the eye from the bottom to the top, opposite of how the human eyelid covers from the top to the bottom. This is an individual Red-Tail Hawk who is falling asleep. Sometimes a half-closed eye may mark an individual who is sick or unwell, or may just be falling asleep.







Nictitating membrane

Raptors also have a nictitating membrane that closes over the eye separately from the eye lid. It passes from the inner corner of the eye out to the outer edge and appears to be a dullish grey.















ed-Tail - same individual Immature - less than one year old

Pale yellow-brown Two-Years Old

Color rises from the bottom and begins to turn the eye to a dark brown Four-Years Old

Color is now a solid mahogany Eight-Years Old

Color is still a solid mahogany







ooper's Hawk Chick

Blue and then brown

Image courtesy of Lee Slikkers. Immature

Yellow Mature - Two year old bird

Orange Mature

Red Image courtesy of Steve Dickson.







reat Horned Owl Immature

Yellow Mature

Yellow







olden Eagle Immature

Golden or dark brown Mature

Golden or dark brown







erlin Immature

Dark brown Mature

Dark brown to black







estrel Immature

Dark brown Two-Years Old

Dark brown to black







rairie Falcon Immature

Dark brown Fourteen Years Old

Dark brown to black







ald Eagle Immature

Brown or pale brown Mature

Bright pale yellow or buff







urasian Eagle Owl - same individual Eyass

Bright orange Immature

Bright orange Mature







yrfalcon Immature

Dark brown Mature

Dark brown to black







oshawk Immature - chick

Blue Image courtesy of Becky Brunotte. Immature - brancher to first moult

Yellow or tan Mature - Two-Year Old

As the bird matures the eyes become orange, then red Mature - Seven-Year Old

Here the bird's eye is beginning to turn red with the top still retaining some of the murky orange color. Image courtesy of Dion Thomson. Mature - Seven-Year Old

Here the bird's eye is a solid red. Goshawks from the Southern United States typically develop more red eyes as adults than Goshawks from other genetic pools. Image courtesy of Becky Brunotte.







sprey Chick

Osprey chicks hatch with blue eyes that change to the orange-brown shortly. This Osprey was in rehabilitation, but the color change can be seen. Immature

Immature Osprey have bright orange-brown eyes. Mature

Adult Osprey have yellow eyes.







nowy Owl Immature

Yellow Mature

Yellow







harp-Shin Hawk Immature

Yellow Image courtesy of Tasha Leong. Mature (but not too old)

Orange - will become red as the bird ages















All images and text Copyright © 2004 - 2020 - Lydia Ash