He’s a red-tailed hawk with a serious hunger problem. Honestly, Secret Life of Pets Tiberius is the kind of character that catches you off guard because he isn't just another talking animal in a colorful New York City apartment building. He’s a predator. A lonely, socially awkward, slightly terrifying predator who lives in a literal birdcage on a rooftop.
Voice acting makes or breaks these roles. Albert Brooks, the guy who gave us the neurotic Marlin in Finding Nemo, brings that same frantic energy to Tiberius. It works. It works because Tiberius isn't a villain, even though he spends his first few minutes on screen trying to figure out if Gidget’s head will fit in his beak.
The 2016 film from Illumination Entertainment did something smart here. It took the "natural enemy" trope and flipped it. Most kids' movies make the hawk the scary guy who swoops down from the sky to end the movie early. In this universe, Tiberius is just another lonely New Yorker looking for a friend—he just happens to have sharp talons and an instinct to kill anything that moves.
The Weird Logic of a Rooftop Predator
Living in a coop on a Manhattan roof changes a bird. You’ve got the noise, the smog, and the constant temptation of small, fluffy dogs wandering around below you.
When Gidget first approaches him, she’s looking for Max. Tiberius sees lunch. He’s got this internal struggle that is actually pretty funny if you don't think too hard about the food chain. He wants to eat the Pomeranian. He also really, really wants someone to talk to. That’s the core of his character. He’s a lonely soul trapped in the body of a killing machine.
Why the Red-Tailed Hawk Choice Matters
Illumination didn’t just pick a random bird. Red-tailed hawks are everywhere in NYC. You’ve probably heard of Pale Male, the famous hawk that nested on Fifth Avenue. These birds are part of the city's DNA. They are gritty. They are survivors. By making the Secret Life of Pets Tiberius a red-tailed hawk, the creators grounded him in a very real New York reality.
- He’s solitary by nature.
- He’s misunderstood by the "prey" animals.
- He has a dry, almost cynical sense of humor.
It’s the contrast that makes him memorable. You have this tiny, white, puffball dog bargaining with a raptor. Gidget isn't scared, which confuses him. Usually, things run away. When Gidget doesn't, it breaks his brain a little.
The Unlikely Alliance with Gidget
Let's talk about that basement scene. Well, rooftop scene.
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Tiberius is chained up. That’s a dark detail for a family movie, right? He’s a pet, but he’s a restricted one. When Gidget enlists him to help find Max, she uses his natural skills—his sight and his flight—for good. This is where his arc really kicks in. He goes from "I’m going to eat you" to "I’m going to help you because you're the first person who hasn't screamed when they saw me."
It’s sorta sweet. In a weird way.
He joins the "Pet Squad" which includes a wheelchair-bound hound dog and a sarcastic cat. Tiberius provides the air support. There is a specific moment where he flies over the city, and the animation quality honestly holds up even years later. The feathers, the way he catches the drafts between the skyscrapers—it’s beautiful.
What Most People Miss About Tiberius
People forget that Tiberius actually stays loyal. He’s not a one-scene wonder. He stays with the group through the final bridge battle. He’s there when they face off against Snowball’s army of "Flushed Pets."
Why? Because he found a pack.
Most predatory characters in animated films either stay evil or disappear once they've done their one "good deed." Tiberius sticks around. He even ends up at the party at the end, trying his best to play well with others. Watching a hawk try to be "chill" around a bunch of guinea pigs and hamsters is peak comedy.
There is a lesson here about the nature of friendship. Tiberius represents the "outsider." He’s the guy who looks intimidating, maybe even dangerous, but just needs an invitation to the party. He’s a reminder that even the scariest people (or birds) are usually just dealing with their own stuff.
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The Voice of Albert Brooks
You can't talk about this bird without talking about Brooks. If you look at his filmography, he specializes in characters who are constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
- Marlin (Finding Nemo) - Overprotective and anxious.
- Hank Scorpio (The Simpsons) - Genial but a literal supervillain.
- Tiberius - Hungry but desperate for a best friend.
He gives the hawk a gravelly, tired voice. He sounds like a guy who has seen too much. When he tells Gidget he’s going to eat her, he doesn't sound mean—he sounds like he’s stating a boring fact. "I'm a hawk, you're a snack, this is how it goes." When she challenges that, the confusion in his voice is what makes the character human.
Fact Checking the Fiction: Can Hawks Be Pets?
Here’s where we get real. In the movie, Tiberius is kept in a small cage on a roof. In real life? Keeping a red-tailed hawk is incredibly difficult and mostly illegal unless you are a licensed falconer.
Falconry is a massive commitment. You don't just put a hawk in a cage and feed it treats. You have to train them, fly them daily, and manage their weight with precision. If a real-life Tiberius were kept on a NYC roof like that, the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) would be there in an hour.
But for the sake of the movie, it works. It emphasizes his isolation. He’s "the secret pet" that even the other pets are a bit wary of.
Why He Didn't Return for the Sequel
One of the biggest gripes fans have is that Secret Life of Pets Tiberius is missing from the second movie. It’s a bummer. The sequel shifted focus toward the farm and Rooster (voiced by Harrison Ford).
While many of the original NYC pets returned, Tiberius was sidelined. Maybe a hawk is too powerful a character to have in every scene—he could just fly Max wherever he needed to go and end the plot in five minutes. Or maybe scheduling didn't work out. Either way, his absence was felt. He added a layer of "edge" to the group that was missing in the follow-up.
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Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're looking to revisit the character or share him with someone who hasn't seen the movie, here is how to appreciate the depth of this grumpy bird:
Watch for the Micro-Expressions
The animators at Illumination did a great job with his eyes. Hawks have those intense, fixed stares. Watch how Tiberius’s pupils dilate when he’s fighting his hunger. It’s a subtle touch that adds a lot of realism to a talking bird.
Compare Him to Other Animated Predators
Think about how he differs from the sharks in Shark Tale or the carnivores in Madagascar. Tiberius feels more "grounded." He doesn't want to change his nature; he just wants to expand his social circle.
Explore the Real Birds of New York
If the character sparked an interest in hawks, check out the various bird-watching blogs focused on Manhattan. There are dozens of real-life "Tiberiuses" nesting on the window ledges of luxury apartments right now. They eat rats and pigeons, keeping the city's ecosystem in check.
Look for the Deleted Scenes
There are some early sketches and storyboards floating around in "Making Of" features that show more of Tiberius’s life on the roof before Gidget showed up. It gives even more context to why he was so willing to help a random dog.
Tiberius remains a standout because he represents the duality of the city. New York is a place where everyone is looking for a connection, even if they have to keep their talons tucked in to get it. He is a predator with a heart, a loner who found a home, and easily the most underrated part of the franchise.