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From: bob@delphi.uchicago.edu (Robert S. Lewis, Jr.)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Hawk Count
Keywords: hawks, redtails, close encounter
Message-ID: <1991Mar6.175416.14614@midway.uchicago.edu>
Date: 6 Mar 91 17:54:16 GMT
References: <1991Feb25.192307.13085@athena.mit.edu> <319@dominion.edsdrd.eds.com> <tjo.668186541@bugatti> <63483@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>
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Reply-To: bob@delphi.UUCP (Robert S. Lewis, Jr.)
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In article <63483@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> fleming@acsu.buffalo.edu (christine m fleming) writes:

>PS... here in Western New York i too have seen a LOT of hawks. Mostly
>red-tails, i believe. (What other raptors are native to the area? I
>have seen others that weren't redtails, but i wrote them off as
>immatures... ) Also is it rare to see them paired or in close contact?
>I usually see them on a strip of road within sight (their's, not
>MINE!...:)  of one another...


In addition to redtails, for Buteos you've got red-shouldered hawk,
broad-winged hawk (spring through fall), and rough-legged hawk (fall
through spring--both light and dark phases).  Red-tails are by far the
most often seen, I think, but the others are at least locally common,
I'm sure. Broadwings prefer woodland and redshoulders wet woodland.
Redtails like woodland interspersed with clearings.  Roughlegs like
open areas (fields and marshes).  Rough-legs hover frequently, the
others much less often, though redtails, at least, hover with some
regularity when hunting over open areas.  They don't do it as often,
as effortlessly or as long as do roughlegs, however.  

Other hawks you could encounter in your area include Northern Harrier,
Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-Shinned Hawk, and Goshawk (at least in winter).
Harriers and Sharpies are probably pretty common (harriers in open
areas--fields or marshes), the others fairly uncommon.  All the
accipiters (coopers, sharpies, goshawk) like to stay in dense cover,
and hence are harder to find.  But they do soar occasionally, maybe
even daily if conditions are right.

Lastly, there are bald eagles and turkey vultures to consider, as well
as three regular falcon species.  I bet at least a few of the hawks
you've seen were species other than redtails.  With a little practice,
it's not too hard to learn the others.  Each of the species has a
unique shape and manner of soaring--the differences are often subtle
and may seem impossible to learn at first, but with repeated
observation, the differences become very apparent (for most species at
least).

Rob Lewis