This large hawk has been hanging around Drexel Hill Elementary School for three days.The school is located in the Northern Piedmont about 6 miles west of Philadelphia, PA. The school grounds consist of open fields that are mowed on a regular basis. This photograph was taken at about 5-10 feet away from the bird, and yet it seems almost comfortable with the presence of a human, like it is focused on more important matters! As you can see, it is sitting on a schoolyard fence, relatively close to the ground. The photographer notes that the bird has been busy fighting off crows during its three day visit.
Questions for you:
- Why would a large hawk be perched this close to the ground, be relatively non-responsive to human presence, and lingering for three days around a school yard?
- What kind of hawk do you think this is?
- What does the presence of this bird say about local ecosystem health, if anything?
Notes and links that may be of help:
- Immediately south of the school is a very large cemetery (130 acres) containing large trees (the cemetery is over 110 years old) and lots of open green space.
- Immediately to the Northeast is Hillcrest Elementary School, a small forest and stream, and another large and old cemetery.
- The school is located in a Philadelphia suburb (the Northern Piedmont) and the vast majority of the area is covered with a tight network of houses and roads.
- www.allaboutbirds.org
- What’s this hawk up to? Part 2
I think there must be a baby near by.
My theory is that she is protecting an offspring that is injured or not quite ready to fly.
Possible?
-G.M.
If there's a good sized murder of crows nearby, the hawk might be there to raid the nursery.
-Sandy
A "murder of crows" is a phrase that means a group of crows.
This bird is a young Red Tailed Hawk. Sounds like it has found a good hunting area. Young birds, especially RTH are not as frightened of people as some others. Another possibility is the young bird could be a falconer's lost bird and habituated to people. Has anyone seen the bird fly or make a catch? Don't assume it's not injured or compromised. Get a knowledgeable person to observe it.
Some come into an area with lots of squirrels, and stay for a month or so, until all the easy to catch squirrels are gone, then move onto another.
How can you tell its a Red Tailed hawk, and not a Cooper's
Hawk?
Cooper's hawks (an Accipiter)have short wings and long tails, both of which allow it to manuever in its quest to ambush small flying birds.
The RTH (a Buteo) is a glider, a soaring bird, and thus has bigger, longer, broader wings. It's food source differs significantly from the Cooper's. The hawk's body is developed accordingly. Do a google search for "differences between Accipter and Buteo", and you'll find numerous distinctions mentioned. It's helpful to also cross-reference google images of both birds. You'll notice immediately the differences in tail-length. Of course, the overall body size is a significant difference as well. the Cooper's is not a whole lot bigger than a crow.
I would suggest the principal check for rats…
I guessed young Red Tailed Hawk, too. This rules out the possibility of a your visitor protecting its young. I was not aware that RTHs were commonly used by falconers. I see them so often perched in trees along highways. This one seems to have found a great "bird's eye view" for hunting!