Red-tailed Release Salthaven (Buteo jamaicensis)

This bird hit our balcony and was stunned when I picked it up. We kept it in a dog cage in a heated shop till we could take it to a rehabilitation place(roads were snowed in).Eight weeks later they brought it back to be released and as I waited to capture it in flight, it refused to come out of the box. Kenzie, its caregiver, had to get it out of the box and the few moments they stared at each other inspired this painting.