How to Identify a Hawk
Are you as fascinated by Birds of Prey as we are, here at Hawkeye? Can you tell a hawk from a different raptor? Let's look at some ways to help with raptor identification.
Common Hawk Species in Canada
Canada with its varying climates and terrains is home to many birds of prey. When we can observe them is as important as where. Some of our fine feathered friends will travel south and to more amicable temperatures during the winter months, while others don't mind chilling year round.
Red-Tailed Hawk
As its name might suggest, the red-tailed hawk has indeed a distinctive short and wide red tail - who would have guessed!? It is a large bird with broad with rounded wings and a wing span of over a meter. Its back is brown and its underside is light. Most red-tailed hawks will migrate south for the winter, but you may be able to spot a few in the very southern parts of Ontario, especially during a mild winter.
Northern Harrier
The Northern Harrier is actually the most often seen hawk in Ontario - from spring to fall, that is. That is the time to breed and raise a family. The Northern Harrier is a slender bird with broad wings, often seen as a V-shape in flight; the tips of the wings are above its body. Its wing span also surpasses a meter. Females are typically brown on top, light coloured underneath while males sport a gray top half.
Cooper's Hawk
The Cooper's Hawk is smaller than the previous two - about the size of a crow. It is a beautiful bird with a blue-grey back, an orange (copper) chest, and a long tail with dark bands and a white tip. Adult birds have a dark 'cap' on their rather square head. It is seen in Southern Ontario year round but may leave the Northern regions and head as far south as Mexico for the winter months.
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
The Sharp-Shinned Hawk is smaller yet and often mistaken for a Cooper's Hawk; it has the same colouring. However, it has a round head without no cap standing out. The sharp-shinned hawk will migrate from most of Ontario but may stick around in the very southern parts.
Rough-Legged Hawk
The Rough-Legged Hawk gets its name from its feathered legs - insulation against the cold. As you may have guessed, the rough-legged hawk mostly stays in Ontario throughout the winter. It is a truly majestic bird -dark or light brown with dark patches at the bend of the wing, end of its tail and across its underside. The broad wings are relatively long and narrow compared to most other hawks.
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