Identifying Raptors

| Hawks | Falcons | Vultures | Owls |

Based on specific physical characteristics, we classify raptors into four different families: Hawks (the Accipitridae); Falcons (the Falconidae); Vultures (the Cathartidae); and Owls (the Strigidae).

This section briefly describes the appearance and ecology of prairie and parkland raptors.

Hawks (Family Accipitridae)

The Family Accipitridae includes the accipeters or forest hawks, the buteos or soaring hawks, the eagles, the harrier and the Osprey. In Latin accipiter means "hawk" - to seize or take. The body sizes of these birds vary from that of a sparrow to that of a turkey, with the females being larger than the males.

Hawks nest in all types of habitats. They do not always build nests but when they do, they locate them in trees, on the ground, or on cliffs. The varied shapes of their wings and tails assist them in pursuits of prey in the air and on the ground, as well as in the trees. Their sharp talons and hooked beaks help them catch birds of different sizes, hares, small mammals, and fish. Hawks sometimes consume carrion.

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

The Bald Eagle is mostly brown in colour until its fourth year; while young, it bears a strong resemblance to the Golden Eagle. The adult Bald Eagle, however, with its white head and tail, resembles no other prairie bird. Nearly as large as the Golden Eagle, the Bald Eagle's wingspan reaches 2.5 metres (8 feet). It most often lives in forests and along rivers or lakes, where it nests on top of tall trees or on cliffs. Its nest is relatively small to begin with, but with numerous repairs and additions in succeeding years, it may ultimately reach a diameter of 2.4 metres (almost 8 feet).

The Bald Eagle is normally a scavenger and predator that eats primarily fish; however, in the autumn and winter it catches ducks as well. The Bald Eagle migrates through and occasionally winters on the Canadian prairies.

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)

The Northern Harrier is the only hawk with a facial disk of feathers like an owl, which helps to funnel the sounds of small mammals and birds to its ears. This disk, along with a large white rump patch, long tail, long wings, and a V-shaped flight profile, make the Northern Harrier easy to identify. The females and young males have brown backs and upper wings, while the males have gray backs and upper wings.

Formerly known as the Marsh Hawk, the harrier glides low, seemingly unsteadily, over grasslands, open fields and wetlands. Its nest,consisting of reeds, grasses, and sticks, is built on the ground among cattails, in tall grasses, and in shrubs. The Northern Harrier is the only hawk species in North America in which the male or female may regularly have more than one mate. In the spring, pairs often engage in an acrobatic display of aerial loops and rolls called sky-diving.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)

The Sharp-shinned Hawk gets its name from the raised ridges on its shins. No larger than a Blue Jay, the Sharp-shinned Hawk is the smallest forest hawk, and is the only one with a square tail. It nests in woodland edges and clearings, and on lakeshores, wooded creeks, and treed farmsteads. People once persecuted this hawk because it eats song birds such as Tree Swallows, Gray Catbirds, American Robins, House Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Song Sparrows as well as mice, chipmunks, and squirrels. Sharp-shinned Hawks winter primarily in Central and South America.

Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)

The Cooper's Hawk, the mid-sized forest hawk, is best distinguished from other accipiters by its rounded tail. This crow-sized hawk consumes birds ranging in size from chickadees to ducks. An especially long tail provides it with maneuverability for flight in the forest, and its short, strong wings give it speed and dexterity for catching prey. Though secretive, this hawk is quite common in the parkland.

Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)

Goshawk means "goosehawk" in Anglo-Saxon. About the size of a raven, the Northern Goshawk is the largest accipiter. It is distinguishable from the other two accipiters found in this area by its size, its white eye stripe, and its preference for old forests. The male brings squirrels and grouse to the female and the young while the young reside in the nest. When the young have left the nest, both adults hunt their most common prey, the Snowshoe Hare.

The Goshawk is the most aggressive accipiter, prompting ranchers in the know to wear hard hats when near its woodland nest.

Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)

A shy bird of the forests and aspen bluffs, the Broad-winged Hawk avoids human habitation. When it does make a rare appearance, its thin whistle of a call "PWEEEEEEEE" is unmistakable.

The small, chunky Broad-winged Hawk is grayish-brown or chocolate brown with broad, black- and-white tail bars. It eats mice, ground squirrels, insects, frogs, and sometimes dead animals. This hawk winters from the Florida Keys and southern Mexico to the upper Amazon River.

Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)

The Swainson's Hawk is named after William Swainson, a British naturalist. These birds build nests in isolated trees and shrubs, especially in the open prairie. They soar with their wings tilted slightly upward, in search of ground squirrels, mice, grasshoppers and birds; they also hunt from perches on trees, poles, and fences. The Swainson's Hawk migrates in large groups through Central America, and winters in Argentina.

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Perching on roadside fence posts and utility poles and soaring over ditches and fields, the Red-tailed Hawk is a common sight on the prairies. In flight, its broad wings span about 1.2 metres (4 feet), and it displays a rounded, brick-red tail. Its primary prey is small mammals.

The Red-tailed Hawk is common in the parkland, where the mix of woodland and pastures provides tall trees for nesting and fields for hunting. It migrates to Mexico and Central America for the winter.

Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)

The Ferruginous Hawk gets its name from "ferrum", the Latin word for iron, due to the rusty-iron colour of its leg feathers. With a wingspan of 1.5 metres (4.8 feet), the Ferruginous Hawk is the largest North American buteo. Its nest, built on hillsides, on cliff ledges, in trees, or in shrubs, is one of the largest among North American birds.

This hawk is a natural-prairie specialist. It occurs where large tracts of natural prairie provide it with nest sites and its primary prey, the Richardson's Ground Squirrel or gopher. A pair of Ferruginous Hawks and its young will consume up to 480 ground squirrels during the nesting season, and many more throughout the rest of the year. Ferruginous Hawks winter in Texas and Mexico.

Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)

Although the Rough-legged Hawk may visit the Canadian prairies during a mild winter, most often this bird merely migrates through our territory as it moves between its Arctic breeding areas and its wintering grounds in the central United States.

The colouring of this hawk is highly variable, some individuals being lightly coloured and others quite dark. From below, the black-and-white tail and black wrist patch aid in identification. The Rough-legged Hawk is often seen hovering over one spot in search of its prey, which includes small mammals, rabbits, and occasionally birds.

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

Most often nesting on cliffs along river valleys, the Golden Eagle is one of the largest North American birds of prey. It is named for the golden feathers on its head and upper neck, which it acquires after its fourth year. Feathers completely cover its legs, right down to the base of its toes. Because of its size, people considered the Golden Eagle a killer of cattle and sheep, and persecuted it accordingly. Thousands were shot needlessly each year. Actually, the Golden Eagle eats primarily rabbits, small mammals, and larger birds. In winter, it feeds on dead animals - a lethal habit when the carcasses have been laced with strychnine in an attempt to kill coyotes. About 5,000 Golden Eagles migrate along the eastern Rockies between northern nest sites and winter areas in the western United States.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

With black eye stripes that reduce the water's glare, a reversible outer toe, and spiny pads on its feet to grasp its slippery prey, the Osprey dives feet first for fish from heights of 15 to 60 metres (50 to 200 feet). Often this hawk disappears well below the water's surface before re-emerging and occasionally, when the prey is too large, an Osprey is pulled under and drowns.

Sometimes called a "fish hawk", the Osprey's proper name comes from the Latin "ossifraga", which means "bone breaker". In flight, it shows a characteristic bend in both wing joints.

Its massive nest, made of sticks, is built near water in tall living or dead trees, on utility poles or rocky outcrops, or on artificial platforms. The Osprey migrates through the prairies, spending its winters from the southern United States to Chile and Peru, but is rarely found far from water. This hawk nearly disappeared from Canada in the 1960s - another victim of DDT poisoning and human persecution.

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Falcons (Family Falconidae)

The word falcon is derived from the Latin "falx", meaning sickle, which describes the sickle-like talons and beaks of these birds. Falcons may be as small as sparrows or as big as large chickens. They have long, pointed wings and tails that are well adapted for the rapid flights they use to pursue insects, bats, and birds in the air, and mammals and birds on the ground and in trees. Their distinguishing characteristics include a dark stripe below each eye, a rounded head, and a hooked beak with a tooth-shaped projection. Female falcons are larger than males.

None of our falcons builds a nest. Instead they lay two to six eggs in natural cavities along river cliffs, in trees, or in the nests of other birds.

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)

The American Kestrel, formerly known as the Sparrow Hawk, is not only the most colourful falcon but is also the smallest and most common. It possesses characteristic dark sideburns and a cinnamon or rusty tail. Males have blue wings while females have red wings, and both sexes have reddish and blue crowns.

The American Kestrel is a familiar sight to farmers. It perches on power lines and fence posts, or hovers as it scans for grasshoppers, dragonflies and mice. It nests in hollow trees, crevices along river banks, buildings, and old magpie nests. The American Kestrel is migratory.

Merlin (Falco columbarius)

Once called the Pigeon Hawk because it resembles a pigeon in size and flight, the Merlin is a sleek bird with powerful wing beats. A bird of the woods, the prairies, the boreal forest, and prairie cities, the Merlin catches mainly House Sparrows, Horned Larks, small mammals, and insects during the summer, and Bohemian Waxwings during the winter.

In the wild, the Merlin harasses any person who dares pass near its nest. However, most city-dwelling Merlins refrain from this behavior. About 30 pairs of Merlins nest in Saskatoon, and about 100 pairs in Edmonton.

Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)

The largest falcon, the Gyrfalcon nests in old raven nests and on cliff ledges along coastal cliffs or rivers throughout the Arctic and into northern British Columbia. Its colour ranges from white to gray to almost black. During late fall and winter, young birds migrate to the prairies, returning north in the spring. Lemmings, the Arctic Hare, and ptarmigan are the Gyrfalcon's prey in the north, while on the prairie it hunts for jackrabbit, mice, and grouse.

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

The Latin verb "peregrinari", which gave the Peregrine Falcon its name, means to journey from a foreign place, as would a pilgrim or a wanderer. The peregrines that nest south of the treeline in North America winter in central and northern South America. Not only do they travel long distances, they also dive at speeds of up to 300 km/hour (180 mph). The Peregrine Falcon is thought to be the fastest of all raptors.

There are three subspecies of the Peregrine Falcon in North America. One of these, the anatum Peregrine Falcon - the rarest raptor of the Canadian prairies - faced almost certain extinction during the 1960s. The pesticide DDT and its by product DDE accumulated in this falcon's prey species, causing it to produce thin-shelled eggs. The eggs broke easily during incubation, and few chicks hatched. By 1970, just 90 anatum peregrines remained in Canada, and for more than twenty years no pairs were known to nest on prairie cliffs. Today, however, due to restrictions on DDT use in Canada and the United States, to intensive reintroduction programs across Canada, and to successful captive-breeding programs at Wainwright, Alberta and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the anatum Peregrine Falcon is coming back.

Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus)

The Prairie Falcon inhabits prairies, open mountains, and dry plains. It nests on cliffs along prairie rivers and creeks, making use of cavities, ledges, and the empty nests of other birds. The Prairie Falcon's search for food takes it up to 25 km (15 miles) from its nest. While it does eat some small birds, ground squirrels are its primary prey. Consequently, this falcon's survival on the prairies is linked closely to that of the ground squirrel.

Some young Prairie Falcons migrate into the United States and northern Mexico for the winter, but if prey is available, the adults usually stay close to their breeding territory.

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Vultures (Family Cathartidae)

Three species of vulture live in North America, but only one occurs in Canada. Vultures usually inhabit open habitats. They have hooked beaks, weak feet and talons, and their main food is carrion.

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

The Turkey Vulture, a large bird that was named for its resemblance to a turkey, soars high on its long wings. With its unfeathered head and its grunting and hissing over decaying carcasses, the Turkey Vulture gets little respect from people. Nonetheless, it is a bird of distinction.

The Turkey Vulture has exceptional eyesight and a well developed sense of smell, and these senses help it to locate the dead animals that are its food. Its 2-metre (6.5-foot) wingspan, V- shaped profile, and seemingly unsteady soaring flight allow it to be identified easily. The Turkey Vulture does not build a nest, but instead lays its two eggs on the ground among rocks and logs, on cliffs, in caves, and in deserted buildings.

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Owls (Family Strigidae)

Owls vary from the size of a sparrow to the size of a duck. Their large eyes, located in disk-shaped faces, adapt well to conditions of low light, and their soft plumage muffles the sound of their approach. Their acute sense of hearing, together with their broad, round wings and hooked beaks, assist these mainly nocturnal and twilight hunters in the capture of small mammals or birds.

Owls live in all types of habitats, including marshes. They nest in natural cavities along river cliffs, in tree holes, in the ground, or in the nests of other birds. Some species are migratory.

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

The Great Horned Owl is easily identified by its night call, "Who-who-who, who, who", or "You hoo, who cooks for you?"; It is distinctive because of its large size and its obvious ear tufts, or horns. The feather horns look like broken branches, which may make the owl less conspicuous. The Great Horned Owl is a common, year-round resident of the prairies. An adaptable species, it nests primarily on the old stick nests of other birds usually hawks, magpies, or crows that it finds in trees, in holes along river banks or in old buildings. Nesting begins in early spring, and the young hatch even before the leaves emerge. The diet of these owls is extremely varied, and includes birds, fish, and mammals. Their prey may be as small as a shrew, or as large as a jackrabbit.

Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca)

White with some black barring, the Snowy Owl is big and bulky, an Arctic bird with feather-covered feet. It often migrates to the Canadian prairies during winter. Unlike other large owls, the Snowy Owl hunts during daylight hours as well as at night.

On the prairies, the Snowy Owl inhabits pastures and stubble fields, often perching on the ground or on fences, hay bales, trees or poles, as it scans the area for small mammals, rabbits and grouse.

Barred Owl (Strix varia)

The Barred Owl is a fairly large owl with no ear tufts. At night, this big owl is often heard hooting, "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?" The Barred Owl occurs in the mixed-wood boreal forests and aspen parkland. It eats primarily mice, but also consumes insects, frogs, fish and small birds. Unlike most other owls whose eyes are yellow, the eyes of the Barred Owl are brown.

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)

Of all North American owls, the Burrowing Owl is the only species in which the male and the female are similar in size - both being about the size of a ground squirrel. They have relatively long legs, and characteristically bob up and down when approached. Burrowing Owls inhabit grasslands, often perching on fence posts or on the ground. They hunt by day and night, capturing primarily mice and insects but also small birds, amphibians, and snakes. Sometimes these owls nest in colonies, and they winter in the southern United States and Mexico.

Because the Burrowing Owl nests underground in the burrows of ground squirrels and Badgers, its future is linked to that of these burrowers. The number of Burrowing Owls on the Canadian prairies continues to decline, and the species is now on Canada's endangered-species list. Many landowners on whose property these owls breed have joined Operation Burrowing Owl in a cooperative effort to protect this species.

Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)

Like the Great Horned Owl, the Long-eared Owl has ear-tufts, but they are closely set. A night hunter that prefers thickly forested woodlands, the Long-eared Owl is usually a silent bird. During the breeding season, however, it hoots, whistles, whines, shrieks, and even barks and meows. Nesting in abandoned crow, hawk, or magpie nests, and sometimes in cliff cavities, the Long-eared Owl eats mostly small mammals and occasionally small birds.

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

Living in open habitat, on farmland and near wetlands, the Short-eared Owl builds a grass-and-feather-lined nest in a depression in unburned stubble or marsh grass in April and May. It catches small mammals, its main prey, by flying low over fields and wetlands in the early morning and late afternoon. In areas where rodents are plentiful, many Short-eared Owls may congregate.

Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)

The small Saw-whet Owl inhabits aspen parkland, river valleys and coulees, coniferous forests, and larch bogs, and nests in old woodpecker holes in large trees. Its call is a series of raspy whistles "peep-peep-peep" reminiscent of the sound of a saw being sharpened.

Hearing its call is the closest most people come to the Saw-whet Owl. Although common, the species is difficult to observe. It hunts only at night for small mammals, bats, and occasionally small birds.

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