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Birds of Prey: Hawks, Falcons, Owls

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Catherine Boeckmann
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Wonder what鈥檚 soaring in the sky? It may be a bird of prey.  Here are pictures of a few common raptors to help you identify them!

I had the opportunity to see four live birds of prey at a presentation by the 鈥攁 non-profit organization dedicated to rehabilitation of sick and injured birds of prey.

First, it鈥檚 important to know what is meant by 鈥渂ird of prey.鈥 They are predatory birds which kill their food鈥攚ith their feet!

At the end of their toes are talons鈥攏eedle-sharp claws used to catch and kill prey. Some have a channel down the back of each talon to help their prey bleed out. This may sound extreme, but every animal has to eat, and this channel helps the prey die quickly!

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1. American Kestrel (above)

The smallest of falcons, American kestrels are master mousers. Also called sparrow hawks, they prey on small birds and insects. They eat cicadas, too! Interestingly, they can hover in place to lock down on their prey. They are very fast flyers but small. To avoid being eaten by larger birds of prey, they have markings that create the appearance of a false face with eyes on the back of their head.


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2. Eastern Screech-Owl (above)
A nighttime hunter, this small, stocky owl can fly silently thanks to the ruffled edges on the outside of its wings, which create air pockets and muffle noise, allowing it to swoop down on mice unaware. They can not see color, which is irrelevant at night anyway, and they have hearing that may be as much as 100 times better than humans鈥 to guide their flight. The little 鈥渆ar tufts鈥 on top of their head are NOT actually ears; naturalists believe that the tufts help to camouflage their round heads since few shapes in nature are circles. At night, they do not hoot! They make a tremolo or trill that you have probably heard but mistaken for an insect. !

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3. Harris鈥檚 Hawk (above)

From the desert Southwest, Harris鈥檚 hawk is stunningly beautiful with bold markings. The Harris鈥檚 hawks are unusual in that they hunt cooperatively in packs. They鈥檒l also watch their nests together. The babies stay with the mother for a year and help to foster the new round of babies. These hawks will also 鈥渟tack鈥 or stand on top of each other to spot prey as a way of conserving energy. Harris鈥檚 Hawks are social with humans, too. The injured hawk that I met was making a happy 鈥減urring鈥 sound while sitting on the arm of her handler.

4. Red-tailed Hawk (above)
These huge hawks weigh from 2.0 to 3.5 pounds, with a wingspan of as much as 52 inches. Their strong talons ratchet down on their prey, exerting powerful pressure in the range of 200 psi.

The Red-tailed hawk is very common across North America and is sometimes referred to as the 鈥渃hickenhawk鈥 because it has a reputation of attacking chicken coops; however, this behavior is grossly overstated. Only desperately hungry or young, inexperienced hunters will kill chickens or other domestic animals.

Red-tailed hawks鈥 natural diet consists of rats, rabbits, and snakes. They are super-duper rodent killers that patrol large open fields; they work very hard for us every day, curbing rodent damage to our crops and property and combatting the spread of diseases. In fact, their role in the food chain is so valued that killing a bird of prey can result in a $250,000 fine and years in jail.

Many bird of prey problems can be eliminated by simply housing poultry at night.  If the problem persists, use netting or poultry wire. 

How Birds of Prey Benefit Us

Just imagine: If, for the sake of argument we assume one rat can cause $14 of damage to a crop in a year, and one pair of red-tailed hawks can dispatch 400 rats during a season, It follows that by preserving a few large trees, a farmer can encourage hawks to nest on his property, potentially preventing $5,600 in damage.

I am certainly thankful for any bird that helps to control the world鈥檚 rodent population!


Which types of birds of prey have you spotted in your area? Please share your experiences, stories, and comments below.

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it鈥檚 not surprising that she and The Old Farmer鈥檚 蜜桃恋人 found each other. She leads digital content for the 蜜桃恋人 website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
 

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