The magic of close friendship is a wonderful thing. It brings two, or sometimes more, personalities together, to create a kind of shared harmony of ideals, preferences, and simple enjoyment of one another. Within that safe space, friends can be fully themselves, open and accepting. Humans do this often when given the chance. It’s just as remarkable to see animals form close bonds and find ways to keep connections strong.

This is the story of Stan and Hunter, two avian friends who defy the usual pairing conventions seen in the animal world. Stan is a 20-year-old female Turkey Vulture, and Hunter is a 22-year-old female Red-tailed Hawk. Both birds live in an aviary at the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, Pennsylvania, after being brought in from the wild with injuries that required care. Since their introduction, these unlikely companions have become the best of friends.

For at least 10 years, the pair, who are considered “bonded” by the staff at Elmwood Park Zoo, have shared the same aviary enclosure. Hunter first arrived at the zoo as a juvenile in July 2005, after being transferred from a rehabilitation center that sadly no longer exists. She came with a serious injury: an air-rifle pellet lodged in her right wing, which fractured her humerus. Due to the severity of the damage, the bone never healed properly.

Stan & Hunter’s Shared Trauma

Stan arrived in August of that same year from Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, a well-established avian center in Newark. She was brought there by the Newark Police Department after being found with a pellet lodged in her right wing. The injury likely caused a fracture to her radius and ulna that required immediate care. Like Hunter, the fracture did not heal properly, leaving her with limited ability to fly.

Because of their wing injuries, both birds were left with permanently limited flight. This shared limitation appears to have created a simple point of connection that developed into a strong and unusual friendship, along with a consistent ability to coexist and interact in mutually supportive ways.

After forming a bond, they became inseparable and often engage in shared behaviors. When food is brought into the enclosure, Hunter typically gathers it and shares it with Stan. They have also been observed preening each other, a behavior known as allopreening. At times when Hunter lays eggs, Stan comes to sit on them.

Because they are housed together without other birds in the enclosure, this may have contributed to them forming a bond and becoming the companions they are today. Nevertheless, each bird has found solace and comfort in the other, resulting in a long-lasting and enduring friendship.