Buteo

Last week we talked about Accipiters, one of the two genus' that make up the hawk family. This week it is time to explore the rest of the hawks which reside in the Buteo genus. Buteos have long wings and relatively short tail which are perfect for soaring. Most Buteos hunt by ambushing their prey, preferring not to waste their energy in a chase. They mainly eat small mammals but they are usually generalists and opportunists and they will also eat reptiles, amphibians, birds, and carrion.
The largest of the Buteos that we see here in Minnesota, as well as the most common, is the red-tailed hawk. Every day on my way to and from work I can count on spotting several red-tails perched on the light poles on the side of the freeway. Red-tails are a border species meaning they often live on the edges of wooded areas and open fields. They will nest in the safety of the woods as well as roosting there at night but they need the open fields to hunt in. Roadsides are good hunting habitat since there are not many large trees in the way, there are usually a good number of rodents around, and the grass is typically cut shorter making it easier to find their prey. The bird in the first pic is a young red-tailed hawk.
Some of the other Buteos that we see here in Minnesota are broad-winged hawks, second photo, and the red-shouldered hawks, above. The broad-winged hawk is the smallest of the Buteos in this area. Their smaller size allows them to live and hunt in wooded areas that the bigger Buteos have a more difficult time navigating. Each year these birds migrate down to South America for the winter. They migrate over Minnesota in groups called kettles that sometimes consists of thousands of birds. The red-shouldered hawk is slightly smaller then the red-tail with a forty inch wingspan. They are found in the south eastern part of the state, usually near a wetland, and are much less common then the red-tail or broad-winged hawks. We also see Swainson's hawks, mostly in the south western part of the state, and rough legged hawks, that migrate into the area for the winter.

Red Tailed Hawk

Probably one of the most common raptors seen through out North America is the Buteo jamaicensis, or red-tailed hawk. The red-tailed hawk is a large stocky hawk which is a member of the Buteo genus, which encompasses the soaring hawks. The typical wingspan of a red-tail is just over four feet long and average weight is about two and a half pounds. They are found through out all of North America except for extreme northern Canada and Alaska.
Red-tails have been able to adapt quite well to a variety of different habitats. This may be due in part to the fact that they hunt and eat a wide variety of prey. They are an ambush hunter. They can typically be seen perched in a favorite spot waiting for prey. When they spot something that looks like it would make a good meal they drop down and ambush the prey. Where I live we typically see many of them on light poles on the sides of highways and freeways. This is great hunting habitat for red-tails. The lack of large trees by the side of these roads enable the red-tails to fly unencumbered. The light poles make an excellent hunting perch and garbage thrown from cars attract a good supply of rodents to eat. While people have negatively impacted many different species of wildlife it is good to see that some species, like the red-tails, have not only adapted to survive in harmony with people they actually have seemed to thrive.

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk Flying Free

Hawks are divided into two genus, Buteos and Accipiters. Buteos have long wings and a relatively short tail while Accipiters are the opposite with short wings and a longer tail. Buteos are typically the soaring hawks. The long wings help them to ride the air drafts and thermals. With a shorter tail they are not as acrobatic in the air as the Accipiters are. One of the larger Buteos in North America is the red-tailed hawk. It is often easy to tell a red-tail in flight by the slight "V" shape of the wings which is called a dihedral.

The red-tailed hawk is the most common raptor seen in North America. They are often seen perched on signs and light poles on the side of many roads. This is because the roads provide an excellent hunting habitat for these birds. Red-tails are ambush hunters. They typically perch and wait for prey, which takes a lot less energy then flying around. Since there are typically not a lot of trees and bushes on the road side and the grass is often cut the red-tail perched up on the light pole has a very large area for which it can search for prey.

Red-tailed Hawk Flying Free in the Open Sky

The red-tailed hawk is the most common hawk found in North America. They are found in almost every type of habitat, except for unbroken forests and the extreme north. They eat a wide variety of different types of prey which is one reason why they have been so successful.

It is common to see red-tailed hawks perched on light poles and signs on the sides of roads and highways. They can often be seen on the same perch day after day. This is because the red-tail is an ambush hunter. They conserve energy by perching and waiting for their prey to show itself. Road sides are good habitat for this style of hunting. Garbage thrown from passing cars bring rodents down to the road and the cut grass and open space that you typically find around roads helps the hawk to locate and pounce on its prey. Unfortunately this exposes the red-tail to its primary predator which would be us. At The Raptor Center they get quite a few red-tails that have been hit by cars down in the clinic. Fortunately this red-tail was flying in the opens skies above Crex Meadows when I took this pic.

Red-tailed Hawk Over Hawk Ridge

Hawk Ridge is one of the best places in North America to watch raptors during the fall migration. Each year as temps begin to fall many raptors begin their journey south. Some like osprey and broad-winged hawk are on their way to warm tropical climates. Other raptors, like red-tailed hawks and bald eagles, go only as far as necessary to find a spot where they will be able to find food through out the winter. All of them use thermals, warm air rising from the earth, to save energy as they migrate. Unfortunately the Great Lakes are large bodies of cold water and so there are no thermals so the birds choose to go around the lakes which is why many end up flying over Hawk Ridge. I photographed this red-tailed hawk flying over the ridge back in October.

Red-tailed Hawk

Probably the most common raptor that we see around Minnesota, and one of the most common raptors found throughout North America, is the red-tailed hawk. The red-tailed hawk can be found as far north as the arctic circle, during the summer, and as far south as the southern tip of Mexico and into Central America.

The red-tail is highly adaptable which has allowed them to flourish while many other species of raptors have been in decline. Red-tail hawks can be found in many different types of habitat including dessert, tundra, grasslands, fields, rainforest, parks, and even cities. They are ambush hunters often perching in a favorite spot waiting for prey to come into view and then pouncing. As a generalist they eat many different types of prey including mice, voles, rats, rabbits, squirrels, birds, snakes, lizards and carrion.

Red-tails have many different types of color forms and sub-species which can sometimes make it difficult to identify them. This bird, which I photographed near the Carpenter Nature Center in September, was very light, with a lot of white on the head and very little streaking on the belly. It is possible that this could be a Krider's red-tail, which is a light subspecies of red-tail, or it could just be a light phase standard red-tail or possibly even an immature broadwinged hawk. The more that I look at it the more unsure that I get. What do you think?

Twas the Day Before Christmas

Twas the day before Christmas

and all 'round the house

not a creature was stirring

not even a mouse.

The mice dare not stir

because up in the skies

was a big red-tailed hawk

with its keen raptor eyes

Happy Holidays

Hawk Weekend

This weekend was Hawk Weekend, which is the big celebration up at Hawk Ridge. So I spent most of my time volunteering up at the ridge or driving to and from Duluth. All in all it was almost 24 hours between the two days which made for a long, but very fun weekend.

Both days started out foggy in the morning but cleared up and got sunny and warm as the days progressed. I decided not to bring my big glass with because it gets heavy carrying it around all day and besides it can get in way when I am volunteering so I just carried around the 100 to 400 both days. So with out the big glass I did not do much in the way of flight shots so it was a good thing that the banding stations where hopping both days. We had 30 adopted birds on Saturday and 35 on Sunday, which is good because the adoptions are the main way that the HRBO pays for all of the programs. Most of the adopted birds where either merlin falcons, like the one in the first pic, or sharp-shinned hawks like the one above.

Once in a while we did get something different from the banding stations, like this mature sharp-shinned hawk that had a very unique eye. If you look carefully you notice that both eyes do not look the same. The right eye is the way that mature sharp-shinned hawk eyes are supposed to look. The left eye appears to have an extra large pupil. The bird was checked and it seemed to be able to see out of the eye so it was banded and released.

Another interesting bird was a coopers hawk. Coopers hawks are also accipiters, like sharp-shinned hawks only larger. Coopers hawks are not uncommon in Minnesota, we have a population that is healthy down in the Twin Cities, but Duluth is at the northern portion of their range so they are not as common up at hawk ridge, only 33 have been counted so far this season compared to 4212 sharp-shinned hawks. We did have a coop banded and adopted each day this weekend.

Red-tailed hawks are very common in Minnesota, as well as most of North America, but they don't usually begin migrating past Hawk Ridge until later in the season. However it is common for immature birds to begin migrating before the adults so we have counted a couple hundred of them so far this season. This was the first one that has been banded when I have been around so far this year.

We did see a number of American kestrels fly by this weekend also. Kestrels used to be much more common but their numbers appear to be on the decline, at least in my area. The numbers of kestrels counted each season up at Hawk Ridge has been decreasing and the number of kestrels admitted to The Raptor Center has also been decreasing. That is why the counting and banding work that is done by the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory is so important. The statistical data that they have collected can let us identify trends, like the one that we are currently seeing with the kestrels, and then look for reasons and solutions before all of the kestrels are gone.

That is why the Membership and Adopt a Raptor programs at Hawk Ridge are so vital because with out the funds the important research that is being done up at Hawk Ridge may end and then where will we be? Besides where else can you have a precious memory like the one above!

Sky watch Friday: Red-tailed Hawk

The red-tailed hawk is one of the most common raptors that can be found in North America. They range all through out North America with the exception of the far north regions of Canada. One reason for their success, where many other species have declined due to mans interference, is that when it comes to food they are generalists, meaning that they have a very diverse diet. This allows them to adapt well in a variety of different habitats because they are able to find food. So you can find red-tails in Minnesota in the winter, where they are hunting for rodents under the snow, or you can find red-tails in the desert where they are hunting lizards and snakes or flying in the skies over Yellowstone, like this one was, hunting for ground squirrels.

Another reason for that red-tails have been so successful is their ability to adapt to us. The most common place that I see red-tails here in Minnesota is perched on light pools on the side of highways and freeways. The reason for this is because human populations have a tendency to attract rodents, its because of all of our garbage. Freeways and highways are no exception. People often through garbage out their windows as they drive down to the road, this garbage attracts rodents, which in turn attracts the hawks. Since there are not many trees along the sides of the bigger highways and interstates, and since we are kind enough to keep the grass cut short it is an easy place for the red-tails to hunt for these rodents. The only obstacle are the cars, which is why quite a few red-tails, as well as other birds, are admitted to the clinic at The Raptor Center each year because they have been hit by a car.

Sky Watch Friday: Red-tailed Hawk

Soaring hawks, like this red-tail, are classified under the genus Buteo. Buteos are hawks and old world buzzards that have broad rounded wings. They use these broad wings to soar on thermal air currents.
Thermals are formed when the ground heats the air that is right above it. As the air is heated it begins to rise. Butoes use this rising air to lift them high into the sky. That way they can conserve energy while flying. Red-tailed hawks get even more use out of the air currents because they fly with their wings slightly uplifted in a "V" shape. This is called a dihedral position and it enables some birds to fly more efficiently.

Happy Wordless Earthday: Red-tailed Hawk

September Birding at Carpenter Nature Center

Last year it seemed to be a good year for spotting olive-sided flycatchers, at least for me it was.
In August I spotted them on several different visits at the Maplewood Nature Center.
At the beginning of September, 9-6, I spotted this bird hunting at the Carpenter Nature Center.
Since we are not really in their range, during the summer they are found in much of Canada and Alaska as well as the western third of the US and they winter in South America, it is not a bird that we typically see during the summer.

They do migrate through the area but August and early September seems a bit early for migration.
Olive-sided flycatchers live in boreal and conifer forest, during the summer, often near to openings such as fields.
They can often be found in burned forests where there is plenty of open space and dead snags to hunt from.
This olive-sided flycatcher was hunting from a dead snag that sits next to the open fields near the Administration Building at CNC
They hunt for flying insects, catching them in the air.

Bees are one of their favorite prey and as you can see in this series this olive-sided flycatcher was successful in catching a yellow jacket.
This species is currently one of special concern due to declines in population through out its range. Since 1966 the population has declined by 67%.
The main reason for the decline is believed to be habitat loss in its wintering ground. In many South American countries forests are being lost to urban and agricultural areas.
The olive-sided flycatcher was not the only predator that I saw on my visit to CNC in September, a red-tailed hawk was also on the look out for lunch.
While red-tailed hawks will eat other birds, the flycatcher was pretty safe because the red-tail seemed more intent on scanning the ground for rodents, their typical prey, then checking out the busy flycatcher.