ferruginous hawkHawks

Hawks are medium-sized birds of prey. They are mainly woodland birds that hunt by sudden flights from a concealed perch. They usually have long tails. Hawks are widely reputed to have visual acuity several times that of a normal human being. This is due to the many photoreceptors in the retina (up to 1,000,000 per square mm for Buteo, against 200,000 for humans), an exceptional number of nerves connecting these receptors to the brain, and an indented fovea, which magnifies the central portion of the visual field.

 

Red-tailed Hawk

The Red-tailed Hawk is a medium-sized bird of prey. Its preferred habitat is mixed forest and field, with high bluffs or trees that may be used as perch sites. However, it has adapted to the presence of man and can often be seen perching on highway utility poles. It can also be found in cities. The non- fiction book Red-Tails in Love: A Wildlife Drama in Central Park by Marie Winn made Pale Male, a Red-tailed Hawk in New York, the most famous urban red-tailed hawk. (Photo by Gary Yankech)

 

 

 

Red-Shouldered HawkRed-shouldered Hawk

A common forest-dwelling hawk of the East and California, the Red-Shouldered Hawk favors woodlands near water. It is perhaps the most vocal American hawk. It gets its name from the rusty red coloring on the upper part of its wing. In flight, rusty wing coverts contrast with black-and-white striped flight feathers.
Although the American Crow often mobs the Red-shouldered Hawk, sometimes the relationship is not so one-sided. They may chase each other and try to steal food from each other. They may also both attack a Great Horned Owl and join forces to chase the owl out of the hawk’s territory.