Hawk is one of the breathtaking raptors found in the natural environment. Among the many Birds of Prey, it becomes quite challenging to identify them due to their overlapping characteristics. Moreover, they are always on the move, so if you do not have the particular details, it can become difficult for you to identify them.
So, here are some tips that can help you to identify hawks faster, all you need to do is use your keen observation. Here you will also learn to distinguish between different hawk species.
Key Features of Hawk
Here are the key points about Hawks that would help you to identify them without using any application.
Physical Appearance
Hawks are usually found in two different sizes – small and medium. They range from 11 to 15 inches for the smaller version and the medium one is 18 to 26 inches in length from head to tail. They weigh 3 to 4 pounds and have a wing span between 23 to 28 inches for the small one and 39 to 59 to for the medium one.
Distribution
Hawks can be mainly spotted in North and Central America, Jamaica, the West Indies, and parts of Latin America. They prefer to stay in an open habitat, where they can catch their prey easily, such as fields, mountains, deserts, and tropical areas.
Food Habitat
Being carnivorous and predator birds, hawks prey on small animals, such as mice, snakes, squirrels, rabbits, fish, small birds, lizards, doves, grasshoppers, etc
Behavior
These are diurnal birds and hunt at the onset of dusk. They do not use their beak but rather kill with their talons. While hunting, they are quick to outspeed their prey, which prevents them from escaping, making their hunting style quite strategic. Most of the hawk species tend to migrate during autumn or spring and usually cover long distances. They prefer to travel in groups which increases their survival chances.
Flight
Hawks usually fly at a speed of 150 miles per hour and with an excellent sense of hearing and vision, they can see eight times better than humans. They can also perceive different colors as they have four color receptors in their eyes.
Mating and Incubation Period
Hawks are monogamous birds and they look for a new partner only if the present one dies. They prefer to return to the same nest every year where they lay around 3 to 5 eggs. However, larger hawks lay 2 to 3 eggs at a time and the incubation takes around 3 to 6 weeks depending on the species. Smaller hawk species take 1 month to become fully grown, whereas the larger ones take 11 weeks to grow.
Specific Identification Marks of Hawk
Other than their key features, there are certain hawk identification marks, that make a birdwatcher’s life easier, such as –
Wings
The most easy way of identifying the hawk is through the shape of its wings. The hawk’s wings are either rounded or slightly pointed which helps them in their flight. One species of hawk also has a straight and broad wing which helps them to reach high up in the sky. The wing structure also helps them in their hunting and selecting their habitat. The wings have fringed feathers which give the appearance of a hand.
Tail
The tail of the hawk is also an identifier, which helps to differentiate hawks from other birds. A species of hawk has a relatively short and stout tail which acts as a steering during their flight, while others have long and rounded tails for quick movement while going through the trees. The tail of the hawk also decides their hunting pattern.
Shape of the Bird
During flight, the Cooper hawk forms a “flying cross”, with a pronounced head and rounded tail, while the Sharp-shinned hawk forms a “flying capital T”, with a smaller head and a streamlined body.
Rum Patch
A hawk can also be identified from its rum patch, which can be spotted from a great distance. This has also become a signature trait for bird watchers while spotting a Northern Harrier.
Identifying Different Types of Hawks
There are three different types of hawks and among them there are subspecies –
Accipiters
Accipiters are also known as bird hawks in North America and have three specific species – Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, and Northern Goshawk. They usually prey on other small birds, live throughout the forest and woodland, and are known for their agile flight. They have a narrow tail, with broad and short wings, and use their wings rapidly while flying. Occasionally, they are also seen to glide in the air.
1. Sharp-shinned Hawk
Sharp-shinned hawks are found throughout the year in the US and can be easily identified from their 9 to 15 inches length and 27 inches wingspan. They prefer living in the dense conifer and mixed forest and also in open deciduous woodland. They have a color combination of bluish-gray with a dark head and rust bar on the white chest. Their wings are short, broad, and rounded with a long barred tail and rounded tip. The males are smaller than their female counterparts.
2. Cooper’s Hawk
Cooper’s Hawks are also found throughout the US and they breed in Southern Canada and for winter migrate to Central America. From head to tail, these birds measure 14 to 20 inches and their wingspan is about 24 to 39 inches. They prefer living in open forests and woodlands. Cooper’s Hawks have a slate gray and black combination of feathers with a dark-colored head and a red bar with a white chest. They also have bar tails, with rounded tips. their head has a capped look and they fly with powerful wingbeats.
3. Northern Goshawk
Northern Goshawks are mostly found in Alaska and around Canada and the Western US. They have a wingspan of 35 to 80 inches and their tail to head length is 18 to 27 inches. They are the largest among the three species and prefer to stay in mixed forest areas. These hawks have a color combination of slate gray, black and white, and gray stripes on the chest. They can be easily identified by their long tail and slower wingbeats.
Buteos
Buteos are also known as soaring hawks. They have broad and long wings with short tails and you can see these birds of prey soaring overhead and they are quite visible on tree edges or roadsides. They have different hunting techniques and mainly prey on small mammals, such as birds, reptiles, and insects.
The most common are – Common Black Hawk, Harris’s Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, and Ferruginous Hawk.
1. Common Black Hawk
Common Black Hawks are mostly found in West Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. They are 17 to 22 inches in length, from tail to head and 46 inches wingspan. Their habitat is among the wooded areas close to any freshwater swamp or marshes. They are also found in riparian forests of deserts and canyons. These birds are easily identified by their dark sooty gray color and black tail, with broad white bands and white tips. they can be easily recognized from their high-pitched call.
2. Harris’s Hawk
Harris’s Hawks are found throughout the US, except in South and West Texas and a few areas of Mexico and Arizona. With a length of 18 to 23 inches, they can be traced by their wingspan of 40 to 47 inches. They are found in open dry areas with semi-open deserted lowlands. You can also locate them in river woods, and urban and suburban areas that have enough access to food and water. They have a combination of dark brown and reddish brown patches on the shoulder and underside. The tail is black with a white band at the tip. They can be identified by their screech which lasts for 3 seconds.
3. Zone-tailed Hawk
Zone-tailed Hawks have a limited area of residency including South and West Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. They have a wingspan of 46 to 55 inches with a length of 18 to 22 inches from head to tail. They are mostly seen on rocky cliffs and canyons or hilly terrain. Zone-tailed Hawks prefer to hunt in open country and around mixed forests. The way they circle in the air to catch the prey is similar to a vulture. Overall, they are grayish-black in color and the undersides of the feathers have a barred black-and-white combination of colors. the ings have a dark trailing and their black tail has white bands
4. Short-tailed Hawk
Short-tailed Hawks are mostly found in Florida throughout the year. These birds are easily spotted by their 13 to 17-inch wingspan and have a length of 15 to 17 inches. They generally reside around open country in marsh and farmlands, they are also seen near the borders of woodland and usually soar high to look for prey. Short-tailed Hawks are also seen to hang motionless in the air which is their hunting strategy. They have dark brown upperparts with a white underpart and their tails and wings have narrow black bars.
5. Broad-winged Hawk
Broad-winged Hawks are popular in Southern Canada and the eastern US. During winter they migrate to Northern South America, Florida, and Mexico. They have a wingspan of 29 to 39 inches with a length of 15 to 17 inches from head to tail. Broad-winged Hawks inhabit the deciduous forest and are mostly seen under a canopy. They can be recognized from their high-pitched two-note sound. Broad-winged Hawks have a combination of dark and light brown color with broad white bands on the tail.
6. Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawks cover the West Coast and eastern part of the US and have a wingspan of 35 to 50 inches and 15 to 24 inches in length. They prefer wooden habitats and live under open sub-canopies. They have a unique flying style which includes soaring and circling on the prey. These birds are overall dark brown with white spots. They have a dark brown head and the underside is rusty and white. The wings and tail have the same striped black and white color. They also have white crescents near their wingtips. The birds that reside in the east have a much paler color but the ones in the west have a reddish hue.
7. Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawks are mostly seen in the US, extending from Northern US states to Canada and Alaska. They have a wingspan of 45 to 52 inches and a length of 18 to 26 from tail to head. They show regional variation and have a combination of light auburn to deep brown coloration, their underside and wings have a typical light color and the tail can be pale, rusty to dark, or completely black.
8. Swainson’s Hawk
Swainson’s Hawks are popular in Western North America. They have a wingspan of 47 to 60 inches with a length of 18 to 27 inches. They prefer to live in prairies and dry grasslands. Swainson’s Hawks have a slender appearance and pointed long wings. when they soar they make a V shape. These birds have a color combination of light to dark brown, with light bellies and dark or reddish brown chests. Their upper parts are brown and gray and their underwings have a white lining on black flight feathers. The males have a gray head and the females have a brown head.
9. Rough-legged Hawk
Rough-legged Hawks are mostly found in the Taiga and tundra region of North America. During winter, they tend to migrate to Southern Canada and the United States. They have a wingspan of 52 to 54 inches and a length of 18 to 21 inches. These hawks are quite large and have broad long wings. They have a small tail and have dark brown color combinations. at the tip of their tail, they have a dark coloration and the base is pale. They have pale heads with dark belly patches, with pale trailing edges on the underwings.
10. Ferruginous Hawk
Ferruginous Hawk is found in the western US and during winter they migrate to the southern US. They have a wingspan of 48 to 62 inches and the length from tail to head is 20 to 28 inches. Ferruginous hawks inhabit the arid and semiarid grassland of North America, rolling prairie, and cultivated shelterbelts. etc they are small in size but quite active and slow. They have a unique hunting technique where they are seen hovering and low cruising on the prey.
These birds are of two color forms, one is light, rusty brown on the upper side with a pale head, neck, and underpart. Ferruginous Hawk also has rust markings on the leg and underwing. The other is dark brown with light areas on the upper and lower wings. They have long and broad wings with wide tails and have shades of gray white and rust.
Osprey
Osprey is also a type of hawk and the only species found in the United States and Canada. They are piscivores and are mainly found near water bodies, such as rivers and freshwater lakes. These hawks are also known as fish hawks and have been adapted to catch fish while flying stealthily. They are large, distinct, and have slender bodies with long narrow wings and legs.
While in flight, their wings look like a M shape. These hawks are mostly brown and white and have an overall white appearance. The wings also have dark patches on a white background. However, often they are confused with Bald Eagles or Turkey Vultures.
Which is the Most Common Type of Hawk Found in North America?
The most common hawk is the Red-tailed hawk which is found throughout North America.
Who Are The Predators of Hawk?
Hawks are usually at the top of the food chain but they often get attacked by eagles, owls, or red foxes, and also raccoons while they are eating their prey.
Can You Keep A Hawk as a Pet?
No, you cannot keep a hawk as a pet. it is illegal to capture, possess, or kill a hawk as they are protected by state and federal law. However, there are specific permits set by the State of New Jersey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, based on keeping a hawk.
Are Hawks Beneficial?
Yes, hawks are beneficial. Previously, they were regarded as a threat but with proper understanding it has been seen that they are not harmful and help to control rodent populations naturally, maintaining an ecological balance.
