21 Dec
2014

Posted in: Born to be Wild Nature Center, National Audubon Society, Natural Science, Ocean State Bird Club, Outdoor writing, Rhode Island DEM, RINHS, The Nature Conservancy, The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge, Uncategorized, Wildlife Rehabilitators of Rhode Island, WRARI
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Which hawk is that? Ocean State Bird Club workshop says behavior may hold key

A juvenile Peregrine Falcon.

At 65 mph, the car is zipping too quickly down route 95 to observe much, and overcast skies obscure most color. The car passes beneath a light pole. At the top, a bird roughly the size and shape of a football perches, eyes fixed on the grass below. There’s a black line, a “belly band”, across its middle. Nearby is an open patch of grass. Is it a pigeon? A hawk? A crow? If the driver had been at a recent workshop given by Ocean State Bird Club (oceanstatebirdclub.org), the answer would have been easier.

Mike Tucker spent 14 years working as a refuge manager and naturalist for the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, and has guided birding trips throughout North America and Canada. Tucker was at the Seekonk Public Library recently to help a roomful of eager birders learn to tell the difference between a Peregrine Falcon and a Northern Goshawk.

“All hawks have strong, sharp talons, a hooked bill, powerful wings, relatively large eyes, and they have great vision,” Tucker tells the crowd in attendance. “It’s important to know both the physical and behavioral characteristics.” To Tucker, elements like poor lighting or having a bird fly at an awkward angle can inhibit identification. Birders may spot one or two markings, but that may not be enough to secure the identification. That’s where thinking about the way the bird flies, including the way it holds its wings, may be of service.

Mike Tucker speaks about hawk identification at the Seekonk Public Library.

“The short, powerful wings and long tail of the accipiter (which include Northern Goshawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks) are designed like a jet fighter. It can fly and chase down birds. A falcon is designed for speed in open country. It can generate tremendous speed as they come upon their prey, sometimes chasing it across open fields.”

Homeowners may have been startled by the sight of a larger animal swooping down on an unsuspecting bird happily feasting at their feeders. In all likelihood, says Tucker, they’re seeing a Sharp Shinned Hawk. The “Sharpie” is a common raider at bird feeders, and makes small birds the prime component of their diets. They prefer large patches of conifers (pines and spruce) for nesting, which is why they rarely nest in Rhode Island. Still, that rather startling habit of snatching up small birds will likely enable even a quick glance to end in an identification. “You don’t rely on one clue for identification); you need to get as many as you can.”

Sometimes a bird’s “personality” can play a role in an ID. The Sharpie, though small among accipiters, is virtually fearless. “I’ve seen them chase eagles. They’ll chase anything. Sometimes people watching a migration of them will carry a stick with a picture of an owl on it, and here comes this Sharp Shinned and it will just dive bomb the picture like crazy. They have this little bully of personality.”

Falcons, with their long narrow shape and long tail, are also often fearless. The American Kestrel, the Merlin, and Peregrine are all designed for open country, according to Tucker. The Kestrel is a vividly colored falcon that is not much bigger than a starling. Its habit of bobbing its tail when perched aid in separating it from other falcons. Others, like the Merlin, are more aggressive: “I have seen them dive at shore birds and get them all riled up, despite the fact that they won’t actually eat them. They just like to harass them.”

American Kestrel

The Peregrine falcon, which was in serious peril just a few decades ago, is doing very well these days. These, too, are fierce predators. Tucker recalled a time when he was invited by an ornithologist to check on a pair of fledglings (first year birds who have only recently learned to fly) at what’s become known as the “Superman building” in downtown Providence. “I was looking down at a fledgling on a lower level when another landed on a railing just feet away from me. I have never seen a more fierce looking bird in my life. It was like, ‘um, I guess we’ll go now’. A peregrine is not scared of you at all. I’ll never forget that.” Peregrines feed on small to large birds, but prefer starling sized meals. “People think they only eat pigeons, but although they will take pigeons, those are roughly the same size as the falcon. They can better manage starlings. And that’s what remnants are found in the nests (the remains of starlings) most often.” Peregrines are now nesting in Providence, on the Newport Bridge, and in downtown Pawtucket.

Ultimately, the best way to learn to distinguish between hawks is to practice. Join a birding group, attend a bird walk, and most of all, get out in the field often. There’s a learning curve, but the more frequently a birder looks to the skies for winged predators, the better they will be able to use the tools provided at the workshop (and in field guides) for identification.

As for the mystery bird atop the light pole along the highway, the identification is indeed a combination of the visual and the behavioral. All of these birds have a “belly band” across their middles, though they are not always vivid. The overall shape of it puts it in the hawk family. Finally, its behavior, that habit of perching atop a light pole (or other high open places near grassy areas) provide the final clue, identifying it a Red Tailed Hawk. A Red Tail has long, powerful, broad wings, and a relatively short tail. Tucker says their body shape is highly suitable for soaring. As to their behavior, Red Tails don’t usually hunt while soaring; they are most likely to drop down on their prey from a perch. That behavior may change if faced with snowpack, according to Tucker, but they’re most likely to sit atop a perch and use their remarkable vision to watch for movement in the grass. “Red Tails are common, and they usually hunt rodents, such as squirrels. They have a 50” wingspan, and the key to identifying them is that the leading edge of wings (underwing) have a dark mark. This will show even if red tail isn’t viewable and if belly band is faint.” Thus, the combination of markings and behaviors lead to a successful identification.

The author displays one of the many reasons he loves writing about the natural world.