Bird Calendars
Notes From Nature
By Mark Orsag and Jerry Toll
November Hitchcock Raptor Primer
A Quick and Easy Guide to Identifying Probable Species in Flight
This guide will not focus on the details of plumage, which can be found in any field guide, but on some of the other keys used by hawk watchers in making identification.
The Red-tailed Hawk is the most abundant species at Hitchcock during October and November. A large, familiar stocky buteo, it soars with its wings in a shallow "V" that starts, not at the shoulder, but at the wrists.
Identification problems at Hitchcock involving this species usually revolve around one of the many and highly variable Red-tailed subspecies.
Distinguishing the dark Harlans Red-tailed from the dark-morph Rough-legged Hawk is probably the most difficult problem faced by hawk watchers at Hitchcock.
The Rough-legged Hawk is similar in size and shape to the Red-tail, but somewhat lankier. The wingbeat is more deliberate and deeper, but slower and less powerful. While most Buteos seen in November will be Red-tails, a few will be Rough-legs.
Look for a dark band at the terminus of the otherwise whitish tail and a dark patch on the wrist that contrasts with an otherwise light-colored underwing. It soars with a shallow "V" at both the shoulder and the wrist.
The Sharp-shinned Hawk and Cooper's Hawk are small accipiters with short rounded wings (that distinguish them from similarly sized falcons with pointed wings) and a proportionately long tail.
Sharp-shinned Hawks are very common migrants at Hitchcock in September and October, and a few continue through in November. Cooper's Hawk migration peaks somewhat earlier than Sharp-shinned and is by far the less common of the two.
Distinguishing between these two accipiters has always been and remains one of the chief preoccupations of North American hawk watchers.
The Sharp-shinned often soars or glides with its wings thrust forward, making it appear at first glance to be very small-headed or headless. Its larger cousin, the Cooper's Hawk, has a rounded tail and shows its head while soaring.
The Shin usually flaps in short quick bursts, the Cooper's with a stiffer, more driving wing beat.
The Northern Harrier has been named the "Great Fooler of the Unwary" by East Coast hawk watchers. This is a slim bird with long somewhat narrow wings and a very long tail.
When soaring, flapping, or gliding up high, the Northern Harrier can prove particularly baffling to hawk watching beginners.
The hawk generally soars with its wings held in a strong "V" and glides in a similar posture or with its wings held flat.
Look for intermittent wing strokes during gliding. The Northern Harrier's wing beat has a slow but rhythmic and snapping cadence. It is fairly common at Hitchcock in October and November.
The Bald Eagle, our national symbol, is a huge raptor. Adult Bald Eagles have diagnostic white heads and tails and are easily identified from distances. Identifying dark immatures is more difficult. At Hitchcock, these individuals can easily be confused with the much less common Golden Eagle.
Bald Eagles can hold their wings in a number of different postures when gliding or soaring. One particularly diagnostic habit is for the bird to soar with its wing tips curled downward.
The Bald Eagle's wing beat accentuates the upstroke, while Golden Eagle's power stroke is the down beat. The Bald Eagle's head also extends farther beyond the leading edge of the wing when in flight, giving the appearance of being larger.
The small American Kestrel is one of the few species posting poor numbers so far this year at Hitchcock. This small falcon's migration also peaks in September. However, a few trickle through in November and December.
American Kestrels display pointed wings, a buoyant and wandering flight style, and a long and often broadly flared tail when soaring. Confusion is possible with both the Sharp-shinned Hawk and the American Kestrel's much less common close relative, the Merlin.
These are six species probably at Hitchcock on any fairly favorable November day. On a good day, we ought to see at least one of the following less common species: Northern Goshawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Golden Eagle, Merlin or Prairie Falcon.
