Critter Class Broad-winged Hawk

Critter Class Broad-winged Hawk Remembering Kettler: 1988 2011 Led by: MVK August 31, 2011 Hello friends! I have been really busy tonight - if ok with you guys - maybe we can learn about the broad winged hawks. Do these hawks feed on carrion at all or are they only live feeders? They certainly are beautiful. I really think I like this flight cage better for viewing having the cam so close behind the perch. It doesn't seem to bother them. These birds hunt by sitting on a perch and watching for prey, and have been described as stalking like a cat. When prey becomes apparent, they swoop down to the forest floor after it. Rarely, they will also fly in search of prey. The diet is variable, but small mammals, like rodents and shrews, are the most regular prey. More than other North American Buteo hawks, they are thought to take many amphibians, reptiles, insects and other invertebrates. Birds up to the size of Ruffed Grouse (but usually much smaller) are also sometimes taken. It is fun when they get right up next to the cam. I'm curious as to why their lives are so hazardous? Just a high death rate? Mighty fine with the hawks teacher!! Do hawks tuck their heads in their wings when sleeping? BW I believe they do - most birds will. These hawks seem to enjoy each other's company more than the eagles. Often sit close together on the perch (7:44 p.m.) Hi oceanview - hope you made it through the storm okay - nice to see you. They do seem to have fun and are much more active than eagles. Critter Class Broad-winged Hawk 1 8/31/2011

Watching the hawks up close right now and I wonder--does one of them have missing/broken tail feathers? The one with the most white on his/her head? Young birds can lose feathers from bad landings or flying and hitting things - or maybe their full size feathers just haven't grown in all the way. As active as these are I can understand how they could break off a feather or two. They remind me of finches how they hop around and just can't keep still. Red tailed hawks are more rusty brown and tan these seem to have more grey than the red tail hawk. Also the red tail hawk is larger. These are little hawks - about 1 pound. Would a Red-tailed Hawk have the same coloring as the Broad-tail? How can you catch them? They are so fast. I cannot imagine how they will do that - they just zoom zoom zoom. I love the new hawks sitting so close and bodies moving but heads staying in same place They look like a bobble head in reverse. Are they small that red tail hawks? Yes - these are average 1 pound, red tail hawks can reach 3.5 pounds. BWH Critter Class Broad-winged Hawk 2 8/31/2011

RTH The broad-winged hawk on top, the red tail hawk on the bottom - you can see the difference in coloration. The broad-winged has more of a bar or stripe pattern on his chest where the red tail has a more speckled appearance in the picture. I love watching these two, the one seems laid back and the other is constantly looking up and moving all around. They're so active, great viewing Evening, MVK! My DSL went out yesterday, so I missed the whole coyote class last night, bummer. Re the BW Hawks: I think the smaller, more active one (NB) is a male. And I wonder: when they are released in September, will they just join in with the first kettle that goes by, and migrate? They probably will have to get adjusted to being free for a few days - but I have seen those hawks come through the mountains and it is amazing - they will probably join in once they figure out that is what they are supposed to do. Where can we find them? I know probably all over North America, but from what it sounds like...maybe in forests? A small, stocky, forest-dwelling hawk of eastern deciduous forests, the Broad-winged Hawk is hard to see on its nesting grounds. It becomes more conspicuous on migration when it congregates into flocks and passes by hawk migration lookouts in the thousands. Critter Class Broad-winged Hawk 3 8/31/2011

Photo of a BWH chick - Thomas O'Neil Photo Hello MVK - When the hawks are born, do their colors change as they get older? Also, do they have another name when young, such as the eagles are known as juveniles or "juvies." Thank you for being with us tonight. I am not sure but will find out from one of my books - don't want to take the time right now - guess we could call them Hawklets. LOL Cooper's - my favorite hawk - are known for breaking wing and breast bones as they fly through the forest on the hunt. Are Broadwings as susceptible? I've loved watching one of them today looking and leaping toward the sky. They seem very ready to go. Well hawkwhisperer - when I googled BWH fractures - I got the WCV and Grayson - LOL and wing fractures. You folks are really testing me tonight. LOL We will learn about these together though. OK - found the answer to the baby hawk question - they are called "eyas" like falcons - this information just dropped from the heavens onto my screen. MVK good evening! Are these hawks in the Midwest (Illinois)? The broad-winged hawk can be found in north eastern and north central North America, and in Central America and some regions of South America, where most individuals winter. Per the Cornell Lab of Ornithology A recent study attached satellite transmitters to the backs of four Broad-winged Hawks and followed them as they migrated south in the fall. The hawks migrated an average of 7,000 km (4,350 mi) to northern South America, and traveled an average of 111 km (69 mi) each day. Once at the wintering grounds, the Critter Class Broad-winged Hawk 4 8/31/2011

hawks did not move around much, staying on average within 2.6 square km (1 square mi). Good evening MVK, apologies if this has been answered. Will eagles attack hawks? My guess is yes, because hawks are so much smaller. Thank you. If they are threatened by the hawk and of course they could go after the nestlings and juveniles. MVK, One year, in mid-september, over 19,000 of them were counted in one day when they passed over the lookout at Hawk Mountain here in Pennsylvania. It's a wonderful place to see all kinds of raptors during migration! When will they start migrating? September Does the Red Wing and Broad Tail Hawk live in the same area? I believe you mean red-tailed hawk - It breeds through much of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies, and is one of the most common buteos in North America. Broad-tailed hawk - During the summer they are distributed over most of eastern North America, to as far west as the Alberta province and Texas; they then migrate south to winter in the neotropics from Mexico down to Southern Brazil. Many of the subspecies in the Caribbean are endemic and most do not migrate. Marianne - Thanks. : ) How do you pronounce that -- like "eyes?" like i yez MVK - here is a link that talks about juvenile bwh and colors - pictures and all http://www.utahbirds.org/featarts/2006/broadwingedhawk.htm Critter Class Broad-winged Hawk 5 8/31/2011

hawkwhisperer - There are some Cooper's hawks living around my property. I hope we will have a Cooper's class soon, because I have some questions. MVK, good evening. Are these hawks' eggs small? What size are the babies at birth? Beautiful, beautiful creatures. In the springtime, the breeding pair build a stick nest relatively low in a mature tree. The clutch can number from 1 to 5 eggs, but usually 2 or 3. The brown-spotted eggs are usually 49 39 mm (1.9 1.5 in) and weigh about 42 g (1.5 oz). The incubation period is 28 to 31 days, with the male doing most of the foraging while the female incubates. The semialtricial, 28 g (1 oz) hatchlings are brooded for 21 to 24 days. The young first leave the nest at 5 to 6 weeks of age, and linger around the nest site for up to 8 more weeks. Predators of eggs and nestlings include raccoons, crows, porcupines and American Black Bears. Predation of adults and immatures is not well known, but they are known to fall victim to Great Horned Owls and Bald Eagles. Information is from Wikipedia They are monogamous, as well. Hi MVK do they use the same nest over and over like ospreys? L ve the lessons!!! I am not sure on that one - I am learning right along with all of you. I have tried to find a quick answer but cannot locate one. I will try to find out and let you know. MVK, I was going to ask how high the nest was. LOL. But I found this: In the springtime, the breeding pair build a stick nest relatively low in a mature tree. Ed said that broad winged hawks are among the prey for bald eagles. (it's somewhere up there, just don't want to scroll back for the exact quote.) being a small hawk, BWHs can be prey for larger raptors. Nesting Facts Clutch Size1 5 eggsegg DescriptionWhite or slightly bluish, with brownish patches or dots.condition at HatchingHelpless, eyes open, covered in white down. I have a coopers that stops by for breakfast now and then. I have lots of doves. So far, twice this year, a sharpshinned hawk hit my patio door. Both time I was right there watching. At the last second he put his talons up and hit the glass feet first. Took him a few minutes to get his wind back the second time. Critter Class Broad-winged Hawk 6 8/31/2011

MVK, just saw a site that had pix of rescuing baby BW hawks. http://leswins.smugmug.com/birdland/baby-broad-winged-hawks- RESCUE /8373155_HDVEx/1/549529931_xj9Nk#549529931_xj9Nk The Cornell University Ornithology site is one of the very best resources for information on any kind of birds. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/broad-winged_hawk/id MVK - do you have this link?? http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/broadwinged-hawk/ Marianne - Here is a link I found that describes the hawk, has a space to hear the hawk's call AND describes the young one as a "juvenile." http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/broadwinged_hawk/id. "Eyas" = young hawk taken from the next before fledging for training (this sounds sad!) or bred in captivity. Webster says eyas is an unfledged bird, specifically a nestling hawk. I have read that hawks do tend to use the same nest year after year unless it has been taken over by owls. Thank you - I didn't know if BWH were different as they migrate. I found a trail of dove feathers about 6 feet long one afternoon in my yard. I assume a hawk of some kind had dove for lunch that day. From what I have been taught - if you find a trail of feathers - probably a cat - a puff of feathers - a hawk. They are usually hit at such speed in the air or on a perch that all that is left to find is a little pouf of feathers. I have seen a bird at a feeder taken by a hawk and it happened so fast that all I remember seeing is a bunch of feathers falling to the ground. Good evening MVK...nice class tonight. I'm wondering if the BW Hawk is the one with a Critter Class Broad-winged Hawk 7 8/31/2011

thanks for that link. the pics of the hawks in flight are stunning. Folks, it is worth checking out! Great Horned Owls must give many hawks problems. Last Saturday at Hawk Mtn, of course right before I got up on the lookout, an immature red-tailed hawk was harassing the owl decoy. Today they reported that an immature Peregrine Falcon was after the owl. The volunteer told us they do this to try and scare the owl off. Yes - they see the owl as a threat to their nest or territory - much like the crows or smaller birds harassing eagles. Hi Enjoyed the coyotes yesterday and am loving the hawks tonight. the first one is a hawk question. Do Red Tail Hawks migrate? Only the RTH in the northern most US, Canada or Alaska migrate. Yeah for monogamous! that makes them seem, well, sweet. Hi MVK and EN! These hawks are beautiful! How does their life expectancy and survival rate compare to the eagles? About 14 years. I am not sure on the survival rate - of course, statistics always vary Red tail hawks in the northern most part of the US, Canada and Alaska do migrate. 1 meter = 3.2808399 feet Nest building may take a month, but some pairs may reuse nests in subsequent years or renovate the nests of other species. Critter Class Broad-winged Hawk 8 8/31/2011

Thank you NJ - I still cannot understand how they find the same nest year after year when they migrate so far away - like osprey and swallows - totally amazing isn't it? Murph- WNC - Cooper's have nested in my back yard. I have some great pics of the babies as little fluffies..and then as fledglings. I hope we can have a class on them too! There are nesting Cooper's in the garden too. The photogs get some great pics of them. Hi MVK. Doing some research along with the rest of you. It looks like BW Hawks "migh" reuse their nests, according to this source - http://www.birds.cornell.edu/bfl/speciesaccts/brwhaw.html. The wording seems to suggest that it's not a sure thing, though... just that it's known to happen. MKV, so glad you're here tonight...do you know if BW hawks are the ones w/ 'windows' in their wings? I believe they are talking about the color pattern of the wings. That is what it sounds like to me. There is a great Hawk Watch at Lake Erie Metropark at the mouth of the Detroit River in Michigan. Last year we saw 40,000 Broadwings go over in one day. From my pictures, I know it was September 16th. The counters put updates on Twitter. MVK, this is interesting about the BWH's: They also use a Transfer Call, which is mainly a series of whines given by the adults during food transfer. Nests may be placed on old crow or squirrel nests-. Cornell Ornithology Are these hawks protected by the migratory bird treaty? Yes they are I saw the Barred Owls at the recent WCV open house...they were HUGE and really pretty. The Barred Owls have a really fun call... it sounds like " who, who, who cooks for YOU all". Critter Class Broad-winged Hawk 9 8/31/2011

MVK you are right as always. According to many sites, the BWH actually will use old nest from other critters. They will at time build their own nest, but do to the fact they migrate, chances are they will not use the same nest the next year. Lets try this again; cam timed out...hi MVK! Good to see you here. My bird book says BWH are in the US east to the Mississippi River & in parts of Canada. Then they go south in Sept as you've mentioned. I'd also like Coopers Hawks as a subject sometime. I'd swear I had one in our yard when I was still feeding cardinals but I wasn't sure. Beautiful bird however, whatever he/she was. Hi MVK! I have yet to be able to log on during the day to actually SEE the hawks, but I'm enjoying learning about them here. I wonder if there are any in South Dakota? I need to read up on what native wildlife I might be able to see here. Yes there are - they will probably migrate though in the fall. Nest Description Large bowl of sticks, lined with bark chips. Often decorated with green twigs. May be placed on old crow or squirrel nest. Credit to Cornell U http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/broad-winged_hawk/lifehistory#at_behavior Perch is for temporary rest or sleep. Roost is for longer periods of rest or sleep. What is the difference between roosting and perching? Red-shouldered Hawks (Buteo lineatus) have the characteristic broad, rounded wings of all soaring hawks (Buteos). Crescent-shaped "windows" in the wings and reddish shoulder patches are characteristic of this species The broad-winged also has "windows" at different times of morph - after molts - so I think they mean a color pattern resembling a window. Hello - Here is a link that further discusses these hawks - new words for us: light morph adult and immature and dark morph adult and immature. Also talks about the courtship. Good map, as well. Critter Class Broad-winged Hawk 10 8/31/2011

Sorry - Pressed the wrong button. Here is the link: http://www.birding.com/topbirds/784bwh.asp Baby hawks called "eyas". Here web site which provides names of animals, babies, and groups-- very informative. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/animals/animalbabies.shtml Critter Class Broad-winged Hawk 11 8/31/2011