![]() This has earned them a bad reputation as a “destructive hawk”, which has led people to purposefully use industrial pesticides on crops that specifically injure this animal. There are many colloquial names for this hawk, with the most common being the Chicken Hawk or the Hen Hawk for their bad reputation of stealing fowl livestock from farmers. Those in Connecticut are generally larger than the same birds found to the west and is easily confused with the Sharp-shinned Hawk. This amazing bird is considered to be a “true hawk”, which is a classification known for its agility and speed in the air. Within Connecticut, the Cooper’s Hawk can be found statewide year-round, as well as a tiny section of its northern forests where a breeding population chooses to roost each year. Furthermore, the Red-Shouldered Hawk follows leading lines of the same species when travelling, which can be an amazing sight for bird watchers of all ages. The Red-Tailed also has, like the name suggests, a much redder tail that can be seen while in flight which the Red-Shouldered Hawk doesn’t have. This bird is also often confused with the widespread Red-Tailed Hawk, although that species is typically larger and bulkier with more even-sized, broad wings. Without these patches, it can be easy to misidentify them as Broad-winged Hawks, but they can be distinguished by their long tails, crescent-like wing marking, and more vigorous flapping. ![]() The further north you travel, the redder these patches become – those in Florida are generally paler while those in Maine are a more vibrant red. They get their name from the red “shoulders” that are visible when the birds are perched. They live in the state year-round, but will make the short flight to the breeding grounds and remain there for a season to raise their chick before bringing them back to their year-round nest. The Red-Shouldered Hawk absolutely loves Connecticut, as it historically borders their breeding range and makes travel relatively short. Still, both the male and female have the longest wing and tail relative to its body size of any raptor in North America. What’s interesting about this bird is that the male and the female have distinct characteristics different from one another – for example, the female is much larger and heavier with distinct darker “female” plumage. In more temperate areas, this hawk will choose to be a year-round resident as they’re relatively cold resistant. The Northern Harrier is a bird of prey that breeds throughout the northern parts of Connecticut during the summer before wintering in the southernmost states. Northern Harrier image: Renee Grayson | Flickr | CC 2.0 Immature hawks are more likely to go after other food items such as amphibians, fish, and invertebrates, but tend to grow out of this by the time they reach sexual maturity. This includes mostly small rodents, with a preference for ground squirrels. This species is known as an opportunistic generalist, which simply means it will eat anything that’s available. This “chickenhawk”, another common name for it, is a year-round resident and highly adaptable to different habitats. The Red-Tailed Hawk is the most common species of hawk in North America and has breeding range throughout the continental United States. Their Fall migration usually lasts for 70 days with them traveling about 62 miles a day. Subspecies that choose to migrate like those in Connecticut fly in flocks of more than 40 on a 1,900-3,700 mile journey. This hawk especially uses thermals in order to soar through the air using the minimum amount of effort and energy. They use this to their advantage as cover when hunting, and so human deforestation and forest fragmentation of the area has had a negative impact on their population. ![]() They get their name from their especially broad but relatively short wings that allow them to quickly fly through dense undergrowth. The Broad-winged Hawk is most commonly seen in Connecticut during the summer before migrating south to winter in the neotropics. ![]() They’re all medium-sized, relatively stocky, and have broad wings designed for soaring on thermals for miles. There are technically two sub-categories of hawk – accipiters (forest hawks) and buteos (open country hawks). Hawks are a classification of bird and the broadest category of raptor.
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