Birds of Prey

Ellen Shannon

Bald Eagle

Birds of prey (raptors), are meat eaters. They have excellent vision. They use their powerful feet with sharp curved talons to capture prey while using their sharp hooked beak to tear it apart.

 

Bald Eagle - This is our national bird. Bald eagles are believed to mate for life. Their nests are constructed high above the ground. These nests are said to be among the largest bird nests in the world. The female will usually lay one pair of eggs per year. At one time, the word "bald" meant "white", not hairless. Fully grown, they have 7,000 feathers. Adult size is 35-37 inches with a wingspan of 72-90 inches

Golden Eagle - These birds are monogamous and may remain together for several years or possibly for life. Pairs of Golden Eagles maintain territories that may be as large as 60 square miles. Using agility, speed (up to 150 mph) and their extremely powerful talons, they snatch their prey. Rabbits, ground squirrels, large mammals such as foxes, wild and domestic cats and young deer are all prey to the Golden Eagle. Adult size is 33-38 inches with a wingspan of 6-7.5 feet.

Broad-winged Hawk - Each winter these birds migrate south in large flocks or "kettles". Flocks can number in thousands. They hunt by sitting on a perch, watching for prey and have been described as "cat-like" while stalking. Broad-wings are the smallest of the North American buteo hawks. Adult size is 13-18 inches with a wingspan of 32-40 inches.

Cooper's Hawk - This bird of prey will kill its victim by squeezing it with their feet. They hold their catch away from their body until it dies. Their flight pattern is one of "flay-flap-glide". A common maneuver is to fly fast and low to the ground, then up and over an obstruction to surprise prey on the other side. Adult size is 14-16 inches with a wingspan of 24-36 inches.

Red-shouldered Hawk - – Typically, this hawk will wait for long time periods on a perch and swoop down on its prey. They often share the same hunting area with the Barred Owl, as both like the same habitat and similar animals. The hawk is active in the day and the owl at night. Nestlings can shoot their feces over the edge of their nest by the time they are five days old.  Adult size is 15-19 inches with a wingspan of 3-3.5 feet.

Red-tailed Hawk - Red-tailed hawks are monogamous and may mate for life. Because they are so common and easily trained as capable hunters, the majority of hawks captured for falconry in the United States are Red-tails. In Native American culture the feathers are considered sacred by some tribes, and are used in religious ceremonies. Adult size is 18-26 inches with a wingspan of 38-43 inches.

Sharp Shinned Hawk - Their name comes from their very thin, exposed lower legs. The sharp-shin and Cooper's hawks are almost identical except for size and the shape of the end of the folded tail-square in this species, rounded in the Cooper's. Other birds make up 90% of this hawk's diet, but they will also take mammals from the size of red squirrels down to mice and shrews and even insects. They use a fast burst of speed to chase down prey. Adult size is 10-14 inches with a wingspan of 20-27 inches.

Osprey - A large raptor sometimes called the fish hawk or fish eagle. Their food consists entirely of fish. They can spot fish from heights of 30-100 feet. Hovering over it for a moment, the osprey gets into position and dives with its talons to catch his prey. The birds have little fear of man. Some can live to be 20 years old. They build their nests on high platforms, provided by man or in lofty trees. These are seen near clear water, bays, rivers or sea coasts.

American Kestrel- A small red-tailed falcon sometimes called the Sparrow Hawk. It is the smallest falcon in North America. They feed almost exclusively on insects. Grasshoppers are of major importance, followed by crickets, beetles, etc. Nests are often built on utility poles and they enjoy perching on the wires.

Merlin - This stocky little bird is often called a Pigeon Hawk. It resembles a pigeon in the air. Woodland openings and marshes are favorite nesting places. The merlin often shows great curiosity about man and little fear of him. They enjoy badgering larger birds like gulls, and crows. Dragonflies are a favorite food along with butterflies, and cicadas.

Black Vulture - This bird grunts and hisses because it does not have a syrinx (vocal organ of birds). They are scavengers that feed on dead animals, but they also take weak, sick, or unprotected young birds and mammals. Vultures feet are incapable of grasping anything. The birds carry their food by swallowing it and feed the young by regurgitation. They soar in a group, alternately flapping and gliding, until one of them discovers food. They are smaller but more aggressive than Turkey Vultures. They depend on their vision to find food. Adult size is 22-27 inches with a wingspan of 4-5 feet.

Turkey Vulture - – Easily identified while in flight by the "V" shape of its wings. It is one of the few birds of prey able to use its sense of smell to locate food. It often defecates on its own legs, using the evaporation off the water in the feces to cool itself down. Adult size is 24-25 inches with a wingspan of 5-6 feet.

Barred Owl - There are many other names for the Barred Owl, including eight hooter, rain owl, wood owl, and striped owl, but is probably known best as the "hoot"  owl.  The bird moves very skillfully through dense forest. They are curious and can appear out of nowhere to perch over your head on a tree and peer down with its dark brown eyes. All other owls in the eastern United States have yellow eyes. Adult size is 16-25 inches with a wingspan of 38-49 inches.

Eastern Screech Owl - Most eastern screech owls form pair bonds for life with individuals of the same age.  When threatened, it will stretch its body and tighten its feathers in order to look like a branch stub to avoid detection, but will take flight when it knows it has been detected. This bird is our smallest "horned" or "eared" owl, a name which refers to the tufts of feathers on its head. It is also either the reddest or the grayest owl, no relation to age or sex. Adult size is 7-9 inches with a wingspan of 18-24 inches.

Great Horned Owl - This is the largest "eared" owl. It is also known as the Tiger Owl. Females are larger than males. The call is a low-pitched but loud ho-ho-hoo hoo hoo. These birds have 200-300 pounds per square inch of crushing power in their talons. An average adult human male has about 60 pounds per square inch in his hands. Rabbits are its chief food, but it will eat other  birds, opossums and even barred owls. Adult size is 18-25 inches with a wingspan of 40-60.5 inches.

Northern Saw-whet Owl - Named for the resemblance of one of their calls (sound of saw being sharpened). They are silent except in late winter and early spring, when they become quite noisy. Home is in the dense woods, almost completely nocturnal, they are seldom seen. The overly large head has no ear tufts and may look distorted because of their asymmetrical skull. Adult size is 6-9 inches with a wingspan of 18-23 inches.