However they do come down and sit on our fence posts for very long periods of time and just calmly watch the world go by! I just can’t find the birds with the binoculars fast enough to get a good look at them, and I have a hard time learning the songs. Instead of size, the easiest and most reliable way to easily tell whether a bird of prey in flight is a hawk or a falcon is the shape of its wings. “I didn’t see the prey in advance but saw all 4 birds come together in the air for a split second (above my computer screen) then drop to the ground.”. They’re sticking together now but will disperse in a few weeks. Kate, thanks very much for the detailed information. During the nesting time a single adult, sitting openly in the oak tree while I observed from my deck, defeathered a nuthatch. When you remove the bird feeders the birds may leave but it will take a while for the rodents to go away. ), Personality: Thanks. Hawk wings are wider in relation to their bodies and usually have rounded ends. They’ve had snakes, mice and other things fly over us as we are in the pool!!!! Check this link: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/id. For some weeks now, I have seen what is most likely a red-shouldered hawk hunting for unwary birds not far from my house here in the country. The game commission told me to shoot blanks in the air to scare it . SANTA ANA. If so it must have a territory nearby. Amazing! Oh, what a complete thrill today!! They arrived again – 3 of them that I could see. One good way to start is by learning to tell the difference between falcons and hawks. Owl Feathers. Rough-legged Hawk, a visitor only in winter: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rough-legged_Hawk/id/ac, The link below is to the Kansas birding list. Thanks for the identification tips–you helped me confirm that I saw a red-tail and not a peregrine today in New York’s Union Square. What is the likelihood of seeing either bird? And just before the end, the 2 squawking/whistling young just landed in the oak tree again! I live near Buffalo NY and have 4 hawks in my back yard daily, and the surrounding neighbors yards. Wanted to copy and send the photo for a professional opinion but this comment box wouldn’t allow me to. In flight, does the bird have “fingers”?Hawks (and eagles and vultures) have “fingers” on their wingtips. And within the last month I have found bird feathers around my birdfeeder. What should I look out for ? This article describes how. (All three species are noisy at their nests, though, so that’s not a major hint. Other birds are around. Finally, the shape of the bird’s head can be a clue to its identification. Can you provide more information on the size and appearance of the bird? Every day this week a large I believe to be falcon (has stripes on its chest) comes to the aviary around 9:00 Am and again in the evening to terrorize the small birds in the aviary. Sign up to receive the latest and greatest articles from our site automatically each week (give or take)...right to your inbox. Yes it could be an immature broad-winged hawk. Hawks belong to the Accipitrinae subfamily (divided further into many more sections) and are characterised usually by their long tails and a simple curved beak. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Are hawks generally noisy birds? It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Once you've sorted your groups, it's time to narrow down the candidate species. It looks identical to the peregrine in the picture above. I’m amazed at the diversity of wildlife in the city. Coopers hawks love to. Most of my succulents have been eaten away this year mainly because it has been so dry and they are both hungry and thirsty. What a timely discussion of raptor identification, considering that many are in spring migration now. My 30# dog chases the juvenile hawks off the ground but they keep coming back so even a (non-hunting) dog hasn’t been a deterrent. I saw a large bird today outside my house in Williamsport PA. Gray in color with gray spots on chest larger than a pigeon trying to figure out if it was a hawk or a falcon can any one tell me just from this description. Right off the bat I’m going to narrow the scope. Hill. Their feathers are black and white striped with the black being slightly more pronounced. Additionally, it can be very difficult to appropriately estimate the size of a bird in flight. Guy Allen, “gray with gray spots on the chest” doesn’t ring a bell for a PA hawk. It had the same markings as the bird I saw three months earlier. Is the website still down? Adults are charcoal gray and white. While the biggest, whitest one tends to stand watch and separate over by our pool. I live in a highly-wooded area and I noticed the bird’s wingspan in flight was wide, so I’ve concluded it was a hawk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_Kite. Hawks are ground hunters. (It would calm them down to be able to hide.) The bird was large with a prominent head, dramatic hooked beak, and beautifully brown, white, black flecked colors on its feathers. My neighborhood did have robins but not many doves. Katie Cunningham sent me photographs of the bird and asked, “Is this a falcon or a hawk?”  She guessed it was a hawk and she was right (it’s an immature red-tailed hawk). In any case it doing normal stuff — sitting around a lot and hunting occasionally. I live in Vancouver, WA and saw a bird on my fence (in town) that I have never seen here before. Can anyone help me identify the type of bird it is? “If you build it they will come.”. They built a nest on top of the tree. Actually, response could have been covered with just the two photos and one simple statement. Look for specific features—though fine distinctions in plumage might still be hard to pin down. Am betting it was a red tail my friend saw. Also – check out our california peregrines: type in santa cruz with peregrines, and the links to the cameras will come up (San Jose and San Francisco). Penny, I’m not sure which hawk you’re seeing in Kansas in the winter. If so, it’s probably a red-tailed hawk  …but is it June? Birds of prey eat meat so they have hooked beaks (see the tip of the beak) and talons (big claws). If you start out slow, you’ll have early successes that will let you practice without crushing your spirits. 2 weeks ago I awoke to the young sitting and playing on the ground which they’ve done a few times a day ever since. They do perch on my pool, my deck, umbrella, they get very close!! I stopped the car and got a very up-close look; it was a peregrine falcon (they are such a distinct raptor.). His wings were no doubt large as they draped along his sides almost the length of his body. Telling the difference between a falcon and a hawk is a common identification problem, so common that people often ask me for help. Coopers hawks are high strung and jumpy and move rapidly in spurts. Wasn’t phased by the large crowd gathered inside taking pictures. Here is the link to a photo taken April 2, if you care to take a look at it: http://juliebrown.aminus3.com/image/2011-04-22.html. Can you tell me whether it was a Falcon or what you think it may have been? No doubt with nesting season upon us, hawks will become more visible. The primary on the bottom is from a Red-Tail Hawk. It doesn’t seem afraid of the German Shepard or even me . (likely a red-tail)  Standing on your picnic table? Any idea what it was. Perhaps your father didn’t realize that. Sydney, your description sounds like a Mississippi Kite, an uncommon bird of prey that eats only insects — dragonflies and such — which it catches in the air. and thank you for your blog, since i’ve moved to kansas from michigan i’ve seen many red-tailed hawks (they are everywhere here) and i like your pictures! I observed that the hawk was in decision mode…..he had the squirrel, he knew, but he wasn’t comfortable with it on the pavement. they just sit there and let you look at them). Their cheeks are white behind dark gray sideburns called malar stripes. With binoculars – I noted the chest had distinct vertical stripes and thought, Oh my! Major correction! My friend and I were driving in Squirrel Hill on Wilkins Ave. this afternoon. And normally we don’t see those around here. I saw a pair of what I believe to be hawks today in one of my oaks during the mid-afternoon and then later saw one of them just before dusk. It was about 10 feet up, they’re 400 feet up. http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2011/02/06/beyond-bounds-white-tailed-kite/ This is almost a novel, “2013, the Year of the Hawks” – but I’ve enjoyed sharing it and hope another hawk fan does too. Thanks for listening….I just had to share my joy with other raptor lovers!! Let’s look at two key features. Falcons have pointy wings. Turns out they are red shouldered hawks. I see either a hawk or falcon visit my yard twice a day. Wow! It takes 2 years for the tails to come in red (actually rusty colored).

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