• Mt. Baker from American Camp prairie

    San Juan Island

    National Historical Park Washington

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  • Park on Summer Schedule

    The American Camp visitor center is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The English Camp contact station is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Grounds at both units are open from dawn to 11 p.m. These hours remain in effect through September 2. More »

  • Detours Around Downed Skagit Bridge Functioning Well

    The Washington State Department of Transportation (WDOT) has posted the link below for both northbound and southbound detours around the collapsed Skagit River Bridge on Intertstate 5. More »

Red-Tailed Hawk

red-tailed hawk
The red-tailed hawk is a common sight on the American Camp prairie and throughout San Juan Island.
NPS Photo
 

Found all over the island in abundance, you have a good chance of seeing a red-tailed hawk soaring on broad wings over the American Camp prairie.

Watch for courtship and territorial displays. Males flying over females reach down to touch her with his talons, dive steeply toward a nest. They also hover, searching for prey. They are efficient hunters, swooping down to capture small mammals, snakes, and frogs in their talons.

Adults are easy to identify with their reddish tail and dark head, but they come in a variation of plumages depending on age and color morphs. Look for the broad wings and dark band edging their underwings.

You may recognize their calls from a number of TV shows and movies, a descending, shrill, raspy scream that falls in pitch and intensity, and a shorter, piercing series of screams. Note, though, that Steller’s jays and starlings may fool you with their spot-on imitations.

 
Red-tailed hawk Fast Facts
  • Bird Checklist Bird Checklist

    San Juan Island NHP's bird checklist reflects the wide range of species passing through each year. Read More

Did You Know?

island marble butterfly

The island marble butterfly was once thought extinct until it was spotted on the American Camp prairie in 1998. The park, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service actively monitors the butterfly. More...