Winter and the Harris's Hawk

[Michael T]

Hello all.

I know that there is a huge amount of excitement about the Harris's hawk here in Fort Collins,but with this cold and snowy weather that will be in the area for the next several days I just wanted to encourage everyone that might be seeking out this bird to make sure that you do so from only the greatest of distances as possible or just take a break and don’t pursue the bird at all until the weather breaks.

While non-breeding males have been known to disperse north in the late fall and early winter, this bird is way out of its range, possibly due to the abnormally warm fall and early winter that we have had. Now that winter is really here in full force this bird will be physically challenged for several reasons:

1)      1.This species of hawk are traditionally social hunters that hunt in small packs. The birds that hunt in these packs have been documented to have a better survivability rates than individual birds. Of course there are exceptions.

2)      2.This bird is now in an area that is heavily saturated with competition. The sheer number of resident raptors in this area that know the territory and are better suited for this weather put this bird at a distinct disadvantage.

3)        3.Physiologically this species is not well suited for this type of winter weather for prolonged periods of time without protection. They are very vulnerable to frostbite and snowy conditions exacerbates this. They also have a relatively high metabolism and will be forced to hunt more during this weather, whereas Great Horned Owls and Red-tailed hawks can just hunker down for a day or two waiting for better conditions.

 

4)       4.The habitat that this bird in is far more difficult for the bird to hunt in with snow on the ground. Many of the prey species will also hunker down until conditions improve and at that point they will seek out open areas such as roadsides which make prey and predator vulnerable to vehicular traffic.

I am by no means an expert on the Harris’s hawk as a species, so I have taken to the internet and used the information garnered by the likes of Cornell University, Brian Wheeler and several Harris’s hawk breeders. What I do know is the raptors in this area and the challenges that they face on a daily basis to survive. Education of the public and preservation of the resource is my job and I would be neglectful in my duties if I didn’t share this info with this birding community.

Stay warm, stay safe, enjoy the birds and have a wonderful Holiday Season!

Respectfully,

Michael C Tincher

Rocky Mountain Raptor Program

Fort Collins