ID-ing Red Tailed Hawks is pretty easy, either by sight or by sound.
Hawk migration is well underway now in the Granite State. It’s fascinating to watch our local raptors fly by on their way south to their wintering grounds. But, it can also be a little frustrating, even for experienced bird-watchers, to try to figure out exactly which type of hawk passed overhead.
That’s one reason I’m grateful to the red-tailed hawk, they always make me look good. If I see a bird soaring overhead that’s bigger than a crow and has rust-colored tail feathers, a positive ID is easy. There’s no other bird around here that fits that simple profile.
They also have a habit of hanging around highways. If you spot something big perched in a tree or on a lamppost as you zoom past on the interstate, call it a red-tail and you’ll be right 99% of the time. See? They make you look like an expert birder, even if your identification skills may be, well, a little iffy.
It also helps that red-tails are one of our most common hawks and are incredibly tolerant of humans. I’ve seen these big birds eating everything from pigeon parts on Main Street right here in Concord to snacking on squirrel on Mass Ave. in Cambridge. And of course, almost everyone now knows about Pale Male and Lola, the famous “red-tails in love” who reside in the middle of Manhattan.
And while they aren’t that vocal outside of nesting season, the red-tail’s call is often the sound most used in movies to indicate wilderness, ironically enough. So if you hear that classic scream, you can turn to your movie-watching mates and confidently say, “You know what that is, don’t you?” Yep. No doubt: A red-tailed hawk.
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