| Author | Content |
linthicum
Linthicum Heights, MD (Zone 7a)
January 2, 2007 1:45 AM Post #3043966
| Outside of the Red-tailed Hawk, I have difficulty in identifying most hawks even using a bird book. I took this photo on Saturday but uncertain which hawk it is. It was smaller than most hawks so I thought that it may be a Sharp-Shinned Hawk, but uncertain. Your thoughts, please. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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pelletory
Marlton, NJ
January 2, 2007 1:54 AM Post #3044002
| Linth, thats a tremendous photo!!!!! Isn't this a juvenile Coopers? |
linthicum
Linthicum Heights, MD (Zone 7a)
January 2, 2007 2:14 AM Post #3044078
| pelletory, you may be right. Here's a photo of him/her from behind. I know that the tail feathers are supposed to have some slight differences between the two species. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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pelletory
Marlton, NJ
January 2, 2007 2:25 AM Post #3044117
| Sorry Linth I don't mean to keep you waiting. I'm still searching for pics of the tails somewhere,lol. |
pelletory
Marlton, NJ
January 2, 2007 2:31 AM Post #3044133
| I'm certainly not a Hawk expert but this really looks like a Coopers to me. I think the SS has a sort of notch cutout in the middle bottom of the tail.. |
linthicum
Linthicum Heights, MD (Zone 7a)
January 2, 2007 2:41 AM Post #3044166
| I agree. One of the characteristics mentioned in one of my bird books states "The Cooper's is best distinguished from the Sharp-Shinned by it's rounded tail". My second photo clearly shows a rounded tail.
Thanks. |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 2, 2007 2:43 AM Post #3044169
| It's a mini Cooper...juvie.. The Sharp-Shinned has prominent sharp chins. It doesn't squat like a Coop.
I see a lot of this one...
:-)
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 2, 2007 2:49 AM Post #3044190
| Here is the example you mentioned linth.. the tail...
Cooper Hawk
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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pelletory
Marlton, NJ
January 2, 2007 2:50 AM Post #3044230
| Mini Cooper,lol |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 2, 2007 2:50 AM Post #3044234
| Here is the back, (tail) view of Sharp-Shinned to compare. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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Magpye
NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a)
January 2, 2007 2:52 AM Post #3044280
| Think, the difference/s may be more associated to the streaking on the breast. See what you guys think ..
The Sharp-shinned has coarse brown streaks, where the Coopers will have thin dark streaks. I may be mistaken, mindja .. but I tend to agree with pelletory: it looks like yours (Linth) may be a Coopers Hawk. Feel free to set me strait ..
- Magpye
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 2, 2007 2:55 AM Post #3044289
| Here's the Cooper from the front in the squatting position.. taken with the one 2 pics up. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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pelletory
Marlton, NJ
January 2, 2007 2:57 AM Post #3044299
| I like to tell them apart better from the front too. I have a photo of a ss on my fence but its really terrible so I won't post it. Isn't the coloring on theirs heads different also? |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 2, 2007 2:59 AM Post #3044305
| Yes coarse brown streaks, more like a brindle even...
SS Hawk front... His chins are always showing:-)
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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bsavage
Dolores, CO (Zone 5b)
January 2, 2007 3:02 AM Post #3044315
| Wow! Awesome pics, everyone! And so much expertise! Oh no, a new addiction (on top of the gardening)... I'm already loving learning from all of you!
Brenda |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 2, 2007 3:06 AM Post #3044329
| Definatly difference in the clearer streaks ... and coarse streak (brindley). |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 2, 2007 3:07 AM Post #3044334
| Brenda,
I love your other hawk thread, those are magnificent! |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 2, 2007 3:11 AM Post #3044345
| I haven't ever seen a Sharp Shinned with white spots on the back either, they are sleeker more solid gray color...
:> I love these hawks!
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debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 2, 2007 3:27 AM Post #3044393
| Linth you mentioned Red Tailed is one you can ID well.. Look at this one and tell... pretty please? These are ones I see a lot, but not up close and personal.. only a few legible pics to use for identification.
First saw him in the air and got an ok shot.. then got back in my car and drove on my way home. Then I saw he had been going the same direction as me for about 3 miles... Had to pull off the road and get a shot when he landed on a wire shown here...
In a car, from across busy a highway through the window... (no snow though, Mags lol.)
:-)
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 2, 2007 3:30 AM Post #3044406
| Here is the one of him flying... before I got on the highway. Wish it was a better shot.. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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Magpye
NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a)
January 2, 2007 3:52 AM Post #3044460
| I'm still waiting on our snow, debnes .. (hee)
Some wonderful shots of the hawk .. I'm thinkin' he's a red-tailed, but I'm not sure, mindja!! ..
See if this heps ya out any tho' .. {I've been a 'scannin' my wee lil ol heart out today, I tell ya!!} .. LOL
((huggs))
- Magpye
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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Magpye
NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a)
January 2, 2007 3:56 AM Post #3044468
| Eeek .. the print's mitey small! Try these .. instead.
- Magpye
#1
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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Magpye
NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a)
January 2, 2007 3:57 AM Post #3044469
| #2 .. the other side
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 2, 2007 4:46 AM Post #3044560
| Now see, I'm thinkin' sharp-shinned. I am, however, probably wrong! I am so much better at accipiters in my back yard... :) I sent it, along with the one in flight, to my ace birding friend, Christie. The one in flight is plenty good enough for her. Probably won't get an answer until tomorrow. |
magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 2, 2007 4:50 AM Post #3044567
| This is a SS in my backyard a few years ago--very, very bad pic. I don't go by the stripes as much as the shape of the head and size of bird. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 2, 2007 4:52 AM Post #3044571
| Another sharp-shinned...
I think this bird's a female but I *swear* I have Alzheimer's!!!
This message was edited Jan 1, 2007 11:02 PM
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 2, 2007 4:59 AM Post #3044580
| Another view of 2nd bird...
We have some serious eating going on here. When I began taking pics, I didn't realize it had a bird... a white-crowned sparrow, I think :(
This message was edited Jan 1, 2007 11:01 PM
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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rutholive
Tonasket, WA (Zone 5a)
January 2, 2007 5:01 AM Post #3044582
| Linthicum, What would you think the wingspread is of your hawk. Looks too large to me to be a Sharpie. It is such a wonderful shot of the hawk, can see his feathers so easily, but the coloring seems so light for a Sharpie. Do the Sharp Shinned hawks go through a light morph. It looks similar in color to the Northern Goshawk, but may be smaller.
The Red Tailed Hawks here are in a very white morph color now, seen from underneath are all white. The other day when I was going to town I saw 6 hawks in the first mile away from my house. 3 Red Tails, 2 smaller farther away that I couldn't identify and one Kestrel.
With all the snow on the ground, 12 to 14 inches, I am sure the hawks are having a difficult time finding lunch.
Donna |
magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 2, 2007 5:07 AM Post #3044587
| I know I don't go by color because it's too variable.
Goshawks are larger and marked differently; here's Christie's (female) imprint, Jezebel :)
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 2, 2007 5:15 AM Post #3044598
| /|| "The Sharp-Shinned has prominent sharp chins."
Okay... Are you saying it's double-chinned? ;-) |
magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 2, 2007 5:20 AM Post #3044606
| Deb, the pics in your posts of 8:43 PM & 8:59 PM are birds in *adult* plumage, not juvenal plumage. Note the different/lighter color of streaking as you describe--and the streaking is more horizontal than vertical. If you already know this, forgive me :)
This message was edited Jan 1, 2007 11:23 PM |
magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 2, 2007 5:59 AM Post #3044654
| COOPS vs. SHARPS Gonna muddle this up a bit more. :) This is from 'The Western Bird Watcher' (Zimmer), which contains some info on tough ID problems.
Sharpies...relative to body size have proportionately long wings and short tails. Cooper's...proportionately short wings and longish tails (relative to body length).
Most guides point to the difference in tail shape as the best separator of Sharpies & Coops. Cooper's have rounded tails while Sharpies have tails that are typically either squared or notched at the end. While such distinctions are often useful, they are far from diagnostic. Many Sharpies have tails that are slightly rounded, especially when fanned. A distinctly squared tail will probably allow elimination of Cooper's, but a rounded tail does not safely eliminate Sharp-shinned. Cooper's of all ages have a broader, more defined white terminal band to the tail.
Cooper's of all ages have relatively massive heads (most apparent on perched birds), but the heads of Sharpies are relatively small. In flight, this results in the head of Cooper's extending much farther forward from the leading edge of the wing. Relative to head size, the eye of the Coops appears small, lending a fierce look. Contrastingly, the eye of the Sharp-shinned is large relative to head size, giving a more gentle look.
Adult Cooper's have very blackish caps that show a sharp line of contrast with the slate gray backs. Adult Sharpies are not nearly as dark-capped and show little or no cap-back contrast.
Juvenile Cooper's tend to be very buffy or tawny on the head and neck, whereas juvenile Sharpies are whiter. Breast streaking on young Cooper's is finer and sharper and does not extend to the belly. Young Sharpies are more extensively streaked below, and the streaks are larger and blurrier in nature. Bother species typically have unmarked white undertail coverts. |
bbrookrd
nantucket, MA (Zone 7a)
January 2, 2007 6:23 AM Post #3044686
| The size could be helpful as a sharp shinned is smaller than cooper's , but the range can overlap ( a big sharp shinned = to a small copper's) however if this guy was the size of a crow rather than a blue jay and given it's tail shape and smallish eye and the fact that the cooper's is more common, then my money is on a juv cooper's. But the real winner is the first photograph by linthicum. Terrific. Thanks, Patti
This message was edited Jan 3, 2007 10:06 AM |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 2, 2007 1:26 PM Post #3045140
| Isn't this fun? Nice hawk pics Magpied..
We just love hawks!
Thanks Magpye, for the help with my RT pics... I appreciate all the scans (your all heart)!
When I saw it in the sunlight, the *tell-tail* (lol) redsish tinge made me think RT. It's always good to get a second opinion or 2 or 3, hehe.
I was actually wondering what linth thought too. :-)
o/
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Magpye
NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a)
January 2, 2007 1:59 PM Post #3045233
| Some wonderful pics, debnes & magpied ..
I knew that you had inquired of linthicum specifically, Debnes .. I'd just wanted to present some scans to maybe aid you also, before I called it a nite. Please know, that It haint been my intent to try to jump ahead of anyone. ((huggs))
This forum ... has been looooooong overdue!!
- Magpye |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 2, 2007 2:03 PM Post #3045238
| Your a sweetheart Mags, I really loved the scans.. they were verrrry helpful!
:>
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magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 2, 2007 7:22 PM Post #3046302
| linthicum, the bird perched at the top o' this thread is an immature sharpie. (from the expert, not moi.) |
magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 2, 2007 7:25 PM Post #3046312
| I didn't realize your question was addressed to linth, either. (expert confirms it's a redtail, though :) |
pelletory
Marlton, NJ
January 2, 2007 7:27 PM Post #3046315
| magpied, do you know if their using the shape of beak/head as a reference? |
pelletory
Marlton, NJ
January 2, 2007 7:27 PM Post #3046318
| what???? LOL |
magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 2, 2007 7:40 PM Post #3046352
| I don't mean to sound uppety here, lol, but my friend, Christie, wouldn't need to use anything in particular as a reference. She's been a raptor rehabilitator for 25 years. Accipiters are her specialty, but so is anything she handles, really. She's very modest, so you can blame me if I'm making it seem otherwise. She used to monitor peregrine nesting sites, has done work with the Peregrine Fund, condor reintroduction, Hawk Watch, International, etc., is also a heck of a birder and now a professional photographer. I'm thinkin' she's gotta be close to 70 now but it hasn't slowed her down one bit. She can ID a bird from mile away with a glance... LOL |
pelletory
Marlton, NJ
January 2, 2007 8:36 PM Post #3046539
| I just ask about the beak/head reference because another raptor expert (at another time on another forum) was insisting there was a difference between the way the head meets the beak on coopers versus sharpies.
I don't question anyone because I'm no expert but the sharpies I've seen always look so different to me from Coopers.
Magpied, thats so nice to have such an experienced friend.
BTW, Nice shots of the hawk w/ sparrow!
This message was edited Jan 2, 2007 4:44 PM |
magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 3, 2007 3:29 AM Post #3047883
| pelletory, I think if the head-meets-beak thing were a contributing factor, my friend woulda told me long ago. She's so familiar with every aspect of raptors (and many other birds as well)--both in captivity and in the field.
Oh hey--I have a few more pics of that hawk with the poor sparrow :o I love "behavior shots"... but I really hope the sparrow died quickly!
I'm wondering if Resin could add anything to the accipiter ID topic. Resin? |
linthicum
Linthicum Heights, MD (Zone 7a)
January 3, 2007 11:36 AM Post #3048261
| Sorry for just getting back to everyone. I was out for the day. Anyway, what's the score ?
debnes_dfw_tx, when I mentioned earlier in this thread that I can identify the red-tailed hawk, I was making jest. Obviously, if I see the red tail, I know what it is (lol). Beyond that, I must refer to the experts.
rutholive, the wingspread was small, by comparison. I have photos of a Cooper (attached) and this hawk was a lot smaller than that bird. I would estimate wingspread at 16"-20". There is also a noticeable difference in the beak. For now, I must go with the Sharp-shinned Hawk. That is, for now !!!
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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bbrookrd
nantucket, MA (Zone 7a)
January 3, 2007 2:10 PM Post #3048687
| Did it have thin legs or thick? And has it returned or do you think it knows it is on the WWW ? Patti |
gardenglory
Gainesville, FL (Zone 9a)
January 3, 2007 2:23 PM Post #3048727
| Here is a picture of my 'resident' hawk. Wish I could get a nice close up. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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gardenglory
Gainesville, FL (Zone 9a)
January 3, 2007 2:25 PM Post #3048738
| getting a little closer. It is letting me know that I am far from sneaky...and it has its eye on me. Boy can they stare. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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Resin
Northumberland
United Kingdom (Zone 9a)
January 3, 2007 3:22 PM Post #3048956
| Quoting:Here is a picture of my 'resident' hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Resin
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hem_iamy
Albuquerque, NM (Zone 7b)
January 3, 2007 3:24 PM Post #3048963
| Morning all! Love all the pics! As soon as I can find our neighborhood resident, I'll make my contribution...
~Amy :) |
gardenglory
Gainesville, FL (Zone 9a)
January 3, 2007 7:24 PM Post #3049736
| Thanks resin. It is a beautiful creature. Prefer that it not to be circling my yard, but it is enjoyable to gaze at. What a face. And those beautiful wings. appreciate the i.d.
This message was edited Jan 3, 2007 3:26 PM |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 4, 2007 12:38 AM Post #3050895
| Today when I came out of the wild bird store, Maureen and I spotted a really huge RTHawk sitting on a wire, surveying the field below... Left face side...
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 4, 2007 12:39 AM Post #3050900
| Right face side... He was huge... almost as wide as the telephone pole there.. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 4, 2007 12:43 AM Post #3050921
| Sorry, here is the view from farther back so you can see the pole.. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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pelletory
Marlton, NJ
January 4, 2007 1:27 AM Post #3051088
| Nice pics Deb! They are big ones aren't they? |
hem_iamy
Albuquerque, NM (Zone 7b)
January 4, 2007 2:11 AM Post #3051230
| LOL...looking at you from over his shoulder...great capture Deb! |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 4, 2007 2:13 AM Post #3051244
| Thanks and yes, amylen, he saw me...lol.
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rutholive
Tonasket, WA (Zone 5a)
January 5, 2007 2:28 PM Post #3055351
| Deb, good photos. I saw two here in my yard yesterday. Tried to get a good photo but didn't. One was male and I think the larger one was his mate. They are having a hard time find a meal. A little later when I went to town, one of them (I presume) was sitting on a power pole eating something. |
konkreteblond
Burleson, TX (Zone 8a)
January 6, 2007 4:54 AM Post #3057791
| I believe the ones around me are Coopers. They don't come into my garden since I took down my feeders. They were catching the doves and sparrows and eventually ran all the doves away.
We have solar screens on our bedroom window which is great for watching the birds but you can't take pics thru it. One day I watched the hawk come right up to the bed next to my window. It sat on the stones and looked inside the bushes at a sparrow hiding. My cats LOVE to sit in this window too! 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 6, 2007 6:38 AM Post #3057894
| Those look like turkey vultures, kblond. |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 6, 2007 12:27 PM Post #3058115
| Those are definatly Turkey Vultures, a magnificent creature!! Notice the black body and wing and whiteish feather definition...One of our very favorite birds. Linth has some great close-ups of them! Their wingspan is about 5 1/2 -6'. Natures cleaner-uppers!
Nice shots Paige! Ben and I love how they soar high in the sky.
Linths pics:
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/linthicum_1167146993_148.jp...
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/linthicum_1167153418_24.jpg
Edited to say, unlike hawks they dont go for live food..only things already dead for the most part.
This message was edited Jan 6, 2007 7:30 AM |
bbrookrd
nantucket, MA (Zone 7a)
January 6, 2007 1:43 PM Post #3058295
| You can always tell the non birder in a car when you are driving and someone says "TV's " and the non birder starts looking for a monitor on the dashboard (and not the lizard type) and has no idea that what we are talking about is a vulture. My DH and I have seen more than the normal this year or so it seems. Patti |
konkreteblond
Burleson, TX (Zone 8a)
January 6, 2007 3:51 PM Post #3058613
| Y'all are great! We really DO have hawks but we also have these freaky TV's! I would never know the difference up high like that, especially when looking thru the camera and it makes them smaller. They are gigantic when they land in the middle of the roads for lunch tho!
Just to prove I'm not nuts I dug up the old pic. I can tell I'm going to learn a lot from this forum! 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 6, 2007 6:42 PM Post #3059152
| Yes ya do Paige!! I have one like him... Mine is a Sharp-shinned Hawk, (i believe).. Yours looks very much the same.. from the back.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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konkreteblond
Burleson, TX (Zone 8a)
January 6, 2007 10:42 PM Post #3059791
| I really don't know. It's very hard to tell, and I'd like to see the front of either of them. Mine was ID'd by 2 other DG's as a Cooper's last year, but who knows. |
gardenglory
Gainesville, FL (Zone 9a)
January 6, 2007 11:15 PM Post #3059904
| I just bumped up another hawk thread. It is interesting, you will see both hawks you are refering to, even dave, the photographer had not noticed they were different. Sure enough...they are. Maybe you can see which on your matches. |
konkreteblond
Burleson, TX (Zone 8a)
January 6, 2007 11:55 PM Post #3060041
| Thanks gg...I think maybe I need to stick to butterflies or TV's. lol ID'ing these is hard! |
pelletory
Marlton, NJ
January 7, 2007 12:01 AM Post #3060064
| Heres a good site to ID them from below.
http://www.virtualbirder.com/cgi-bin/vbirder-boilerPlate/BKW... |
magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 7, 2007 12:06 AM Post #3060093
| kblond, Just say "accipiter" :) |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 7, 2007 12:25 AM Post #3060154
| Just today a Coop preched on that same "Hawk" slat in the fence...peering at my feeder birds, and my next door neighbors too. Surprise I have both kinds of hawks! So far the Starlings are staying in Neighbor's backyard trees. They don't even try to come devour my suet, which is a good thing.. My new little Warbler friends get it all to themselves!
Here's Coop>
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 7, 2007 12:37 AM Post #3060190
| One of my wee Orange-crowned Warbler friends, (a Yankee Warbler, hehe), just staying till winter is over, and back north they go.. Ben (DS)helped me ID this one.. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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pelletory
Marlton, NJ
January 7, 2007 12:49 AM Post #3060237
| Very sweet little one! Thanks for posting it deb! |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 7, 2007 1:00 AM Post #3060273
| YW pelle! :>
I suppose since the WBC opened 2 blocks from here (about 8 years ago), many of the neighbors have been (shopping there), & attracting birds to this area that had not come this way before. I am seeing a lot more new birds this year than ever. When Spring arrives I should see a lot of transit birds too.. very exciting! All I have to do is stay home, tend the garden, and keep my Camera batteries charged, lol.
|
rutholive
Tonasket, WA (Zone 5a)
January 7, 2007 1:20 AM Post #3060352
| debs, very good photos. I never seem to have my camera handy when there is a bird nearby. Last year there were a couple of Sharp Shins around my feeders and they finally caught both of my chickadees to my sorrow. So I'm not too fond of those guys. |
konkreteblond
Burleson, TX (Zone 8a)
January 7, 2007 1:25 AM Post #3060373
| Ok Deb, you're a little too challenging for my tired brain tonight. It took me a few to decipher "Coop preched" (lol) Now, what is WBC? |
pelletory
Marlton, NJ
January 7, 2007 1:54 AM Post #3060479
| I think she's talking about a wild bird store. |
konkreteblond
Burleson, TX (Zone 8a)
January 7, 2007 1:59 AM Post #3060495
| Ok...lol...that would make sense now. I've got a Wal-Mart nearby but it hasn't seemed to attract many birds. ;)
I'm so bored with my neighborhood!! We have no large trees and the only birds we have are our mockingbirds, finches, sparrows, barn swallows and the occassional dove. Last year I was SO excited I had Robins in my yard for a few days!
Do the hawks and vultures actually scare the other birds away from an area? |
pelletory
Marlton, NJ
January 7, 2007 2:43 AM Post #3060675
| The hawks definitely do. I haven't noticed too much fuss when the Turkey Vultures are gliding overhead. |
magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 7, 2007 2:50 AM Post #3060696
| The presence of [hawks, etc.] only scares certain other birds into hiding or staying away temporarily.
This message was edited Jan 6, 2007 8:51 PM |
konkreteblond
Burleson, TX (Zone 8a)
January 7, 2007 3:16 AM Post #3060796
| For an area without a lot of trees in the neighborhood (except for a big wooded hill up the road) and not a lot of different birds, we sure have a lot of hawks. Do they hang around for the field rats?
|
magpied
Phoenix, AZ
January 7, 2007 3:41 AM Post #3060859
| The diet depends upon species, time of year and food availability. For example, grasshoppers make up much of a kestrel's diet. In the absence of grasshoppers, they'll eat whatever they can catch :)
edited to add: the hawks of winter are typically transitory.
This message was edited Jan 6, 2007 9:42 PM |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 7, 2007 12:47 PM Post #3061308
| Yeah Paige the Hawks really keep the rodent population down wherever they go..When the Grackles come back to nest in Spring they will keep the hawks at bay... The Mockingbirds will keep the Grackles in line.. and life goes on.. Everyone has their place.
Vultures might look scarry, and with no feathers on their head, some think not too pretty too.. No feathers on their head so they can do their job thoroughly. They are excellent cleaner-uppers..Who wants to be scraping up carcasses (road kill, etc.), all the time? (Not me.) They dispose of things that would make people sick if they had to touch or breathe in the stinch..TV's are harmless to humans, unless you want to interfere with a meal they have found.. And (eeeewe!), I sure won't interfere with that..
They are enormous and majestic birds, Ben and I have a deep appreciation for them. |
konkreteblond
Burleson, TX (Zone 8a)
January 7, 2007 3:10 PM Post #3061716
| Great, I trade Hawks for Grackles? No thanks! lol My resident Mockingbirds and I have become friends and they do their job very well. I've even come to love to hear their constant squawking. Nothing helped my rodent population except my carrying them off.
Yes, I agree that the vultures are certainly doing their jobs. My neighbor who works for animal control probably does appreciate them cleaning up the roadkill! They are cool but I don't want them perching on my house. |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 7, 2007 6:11 PM Post #3062248
| What I was trying to say is they all work it out between themselves.. None of them bother me as long as I remain a mere witness and do not interfere with any of them. There aren't any rats around here either. Actually I have noticed a lot of harmony more than anything. As far as birds, I love all of them...however if a TV lands on my house, something is really up! "Yikes what died??" (It would be bigger than a rat.) |
debnes_dfw_tx
Fort Worth, TX (Zone 8a)
January 7, 2007 6:16 PM Post #3062264
| What's not to love about this lil guy? 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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