Did you know that...
(left) Kites are seldom seen perching; they capture most of their prey --insects and small birds--in flight. (right) The eyes of birds like this golden eagle are the keenest of any living organism, with a resolving power eight times that of humans.
- Eagles are the largest raptors in Missouri. There are two species, both of which occur in our state mainly during the winter. In flight, they can be distinguished from hawks by their much greater size, and from the turkey vulture by the horizontal position of their wings, contrasting with the V-shape of the vulture's.
- Bald eagles are much more common in Missouri than golden eagles, but where the two species occur together they may be difficult to tell apart. The adult bald eagle's snow-white head and tail are unmistakable, but immature bald eagles are dark-colored during their first three or four years--as are both adult and immature goldens.
- Harriers are slim hawks with long wings and long, broad tails. Their flight is low and slow as they continuously quarter back and forth in open country.
- Accipiters are slender hawks with short, rounded wings and long, rudderlike tails. They fly quickly, with several rapid flaps and a short glide. Accipiters generally use two basic modes of hunting: still-hunting from inconspicuous perches and speedy, stealthy flights along paths or around bushes and trees. All accipiters pluck their prey on a favorite perch before consuming it.
- Buteos are stocky hawks with broad wings and broad, rounded tails which are fanned during their frequent soaring. They also habitually perch conspicuously on dead trees, power poles or fence posts.
- The following field marks reliably help separate immature bald eagles from goldens: bald eagles in flight have short, broad tails, extremely broad wings and relatively long necks; goldens have longer, narrower tails, narrower wings and better-proportioned heads; when perched, the feathered legs of golden eagles contrast with the bare legs of bald eagles; and bald eagles' beaks are considerably larger than goldens'.
These raptors all possess powerful, clutching talons, which are their main tools for capturing and dispatching prey.
Bald Eagle - Haliaeetus leucocephalus
1, 2: Adults ... 3, 4: Immatures
Length: 30-42 inches
Wingspread: 72-96 inches
Weight: 8-15 pounds
Habitat: large lakes, rivers and waterfowl refuges
The bald eagle is the only true sea eagle in the Western Hemisphere. It historically nested here, but eagle nesting in Missouri is rare now. Bald eagles are locally common in winter at national wildlife refuges and state waterfowl areas, as well as along the shores of reservoirs, streams and rivers. As a top predator in the food chain, the bald eagle has suffered from pesticide contamination, shooting, human encroachment and habitat loss and is listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Bald eagle nests are the largest in the bird world. The birds use the same nest year after year, and the structures may be seven feet across and ten feet deep. Bald eagles lay a clutch of two eggs, which both parents incubate for 35 to 45 days. The young fledge from the nest in 70 to 77 days.
Diet: fish that are scavenged or captured alive (50 to 90 percent), waterfowl and sea birds (10 to 50 percent), mammals such as rabbits, muskrats, foxes and weasels (4 to 5 percent), and invertebrates such as crabs, clams and crayfish (1 percent).
Golden Eagle - Aquila chrysaetos
1, 2: Adults ... 3: Immature
Length: 30-40 inches
Wingspread: 72-96 inches
Weight: 7-14 pounds
Habitat: woodlands, river bottoms, prairies and waterfowl areas
The golden eagle is an extremely powerful, regal bird that appears in Missouri during the winter. Golden eagles are common in western states, where they nest, but rare in Missouri.
Diet: Golden eagles have the most catholic diet of any bird of prey, ranging from insects to full-grown deer. Mammals including cottontails, jackrabbits, weasels, cats, opossums, raccoons, porcupines, foxes, coyotes, dogs, skunks, woodchucks, marmots, badgers, bobcats, antelope, deer and some domestic livestock make up 70 to 80 percent of the diet. Birds such as ducks, geese, swans, shorebirds, turkeys, pigeons, great-blue herons, crows, ravens, grouse, turkey vultures, great-horned owls, goshawks, peregrines, red-tailed hawks, Swainson's hawks and others account for 20 to 30 percent.
Northern Goshawk - Accipiter gentiles
1, 2: Immatures ... 3, 4: Adults
Length: 19-26 inches
Wingspread: 44-48 inches
Weight: 1.8-3.5 pounds
Habitat: forests, woodland edges and farmland
One of the fiercest, most aggressive and persistent pursuers of prey, the goshawk is a rare winter visitor to Missouri. Goshawks are adapted to hunting in woodlands, where their short wings and long tail help them weave in and out of trees with great precision. This hawk is capable of tremendous short bursts of speed when chasing its favorite prey, the grouse. Goshawks can be distinguished from Cooper's hawks by their larger size and white eyebrow.
Diet: birds including grouse, pheasants, ducks, crows, pigeons, songbirds, woodcock, smaller hawks and owls, woodpeckers and snipe (40 to 60 percent); mammals including mice, rats, chipmunks, squirrels, weasels, rabbits and hares (40 to 60 percent).
Cooper's Hawk - Accipiter cooperii
1, 2: Immatures ... 3, 4: Adults
Length: 15-18 inches
Wingspread: 28-38 inches
Weight: 10-21 ounces
Habitat: woodlands interrupted by fields and meadows
The Cooper's hawk is a crow-sized forest hawk, smaller than the goshawk and larger than the sharp-shinned hawk. They are uncommon permanent residents in Missouri and are included on the state endangered species list. Cooper's hawks have suffered severe declines in much of eastern North America, attributable to organochlorine pesticides and forest habitat loss.
Because of the Cooper's hawk's secretive nature during nesting, little is known about the breeding status and productivity of these hawks in Missouri. Cooper's hawks or blue darters as they are sometimes called, begin nesting in mid-April. The preferred nesting habitat is mixed deciduous-coniferous forest with interspersed open areas. The nests usually are built near natural or man-made clearings and near a creek or lake.
A clutch of four to six eggs is laid and incubated by the female for 35 or 36 days. The young fledge from the nest in 30 to 35 days.
Diet: mammals including chipmunks, tree squirrels, rats, mice, rabbits, flying squirrels (15 to 25 percent); birds including smaller hawks and owls, songbirds, quail, grouse, woodpeckers, cuckoos, pigeons (70 to 85 percent); reptiles and amphibians including snakes, lizards and frogs (5 percent); insects such as beetles and grasshoppers (2 percent).
Sharp-shinned Hawk - Accipiter striatus
1, 4: Adults ... 2, 3: Immatures
Length: 10-14 inches
Wingspread: 21-27 inches
Weight: 3.5-8 ounces
Habitat: forests and farmland
The sharp-shinned hawk, sometimes referred to as little blue darter, is a scaled-down version of the Cooper's hawk. In flight, sharp-shins can be distinguished from Cooper's in the following ways: the sharp-shinned hawk has a distinctly squared or notched tail that contrasts with the Cooper's hawk's rounded tail; the sharp-shins' flight is much more buoyant and less direct than that of the Cooper's hawk, owing to its significantly lighter wingloading; when perched, Cooper's hawks exhibit distinct black caps while the head and neck of sharp-shinned hawks are uniformly slate-gray.
Although this little hawk historically nested in significant numbers within our state, there have been few documented successful nestings in recent years. Though sharp-shinned hawks are permanent Missouri residents and are seen fairly frequently, they have suffered general population declines in eastern North America. They parallel the Cooper's hawk's status on the state but not the federal endangered species list, as well as on the Audubon Society's Blue List. Contamination by organochlorine pesticides as well as intensive forest management are responsible for the sharp-shinned hawk's current status.
These secretive birds breed in coniferous forests where nests usually are placed in trees with dense foliage below a well developed canopy. Sharpshins initiate nesting in mid-to-late April and lay a clutch of four to six eggs. The female does most of the incubating for a period of 34 or 35 days. The young fledge after 21 to 27 days.
Diet: birds including songbirds, swallows, swifts and woodpeckers (90 to 95 percent); mammals including shrews, bats, and mice (2 to 6 percent); insects including dragonflies and grasshoppers (I to 4 percent).
Northern Harrier or Marsh Hawk - Circus cyaneus
1, 2: Males ... 3, 4: Females ... 5, 6: Immatures
Length: 17-24 inches
Wingspread: 43-53 inches
Weight: 10-21 ounces
Habitat: open grasslands and marshes
The northern harrier is a slender-bodied hawk with long wings and tail, long, slender legs and a white rump. Males are pearl-gray and females brownish. These birds forage on the wing much of the day, systematically quartering fields and marshes just above the vegetation. Marsh hawks roost communally outside the nesting season, as many as 30 together.
The northern harrier is one of the few hawks that nest on the ground. Owing to extensive wetland drainage, haying and destruction of native prairies and meadows, these birds nest only infrequently in Missouri. The harrier is on the National Audubon Society's Blue List but is included on Missouri's endangered species list. Outside the nesting season, however, marsh hawks are common residents in our state.
The northern harrier lays a clutch of four to seven eggs in mid-May; these are incubated for 25 to 30 days, mainly by the female. The young fledge in 31 to 38 days. Males sometimes nest with two or three females at the same time, especially during years when food is abundant.
Diet: mammals including mice, rats, shrews, pocket gophers, squirrels, cottontails (60 to 80 percent); birds including songbirds, woodcock, rails, quail, bitterns and smaller raptors (15 to 30 percent); reptiles and amphibians including snakes, lizards, frogs and toads (10 to 40 percent); invertebrates including crayfish and insects (5 to 15 percent).
Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis
Adults ... 5: Adult (dark phase)
Length: 18-25 inches
Wingspread: 48-58 inches
Weight: 1.8-3.6 pounds
Habitat: forests interspersed with open fields and farmland
The red-tailed hawk is a powerful, husky hawk; its loud, defiant scream and frequent soaring are familiar. Its aggressiveness and adaptability have made it the most numerous and successful bird of prey in North America. In Missouri, red-tails prefer mixed forest and farmlands, but they successfully inhabit any habitat with relatively sturdy, tall trees for nesting, red cedars or pines for roosting and readily available prey populations.
Red-tails dominate all other Missouri hawks both in winter and during nesting. During winter they often steal prey from northern harriers or displace northern rough-legged hawks from hunting perches. During nesting, red-tails often pre-empt nest sites from red-shouldered and broad-winged hawks while occasionally adding these and smaller hawks and owls to their menu.
The red-tail nests the earliest of the Missouri Falconiformes, laying a clutch of one to three eggs in mid-March. The female does most of the incubating until the eggs hatch in 28 to 32 days. Young red-tails fledge from the nest in 44 to 48 days.
Red-tailed hawks probably take a greater variety of prey than any other American raptor except the golden eagle. Usually, whatever animal is most abundant and most easily caught in a given location is likely to be part of its diet.
Diet: mammals including mice, rats, moles, shrews, squirrels, pocket gophers, cottontails, jackrabbits, opossums, muskrats, weasels, house cats (70 to 85 percent); birds including grouse, ducks, coots, pigeons, quail, rails, gallinules, doves, woodpeckers, songbirds, pheasants, crows and rarely poultry (10 to 15 percent); reptiles and amphibians including rattlesnakes, copperheads, water snakes, black rat snakes, lizards and frogs (3 to 10 percent); fish (.5 percent); invertebrates including crayfish, grasshoppers, preying mantis and worms (1 to 5 percent).
Red-shouldered Hawk - Buteo lineatus
1, 2: Adults ... 3, 4: Immatures
Length: 17-23 inches
Wingspread: 34-50 inches
Weight: 1-2.3 pounds
Habitat: lowland hardwood forests and wooded streams
The red-shouldered hawk is one of the most beautifully marked raptors in North America. Adults have a rufous breast and shoulders, four or five equal-width white tail bars, and much black and white barring on the flight feathers. This handsome hawk is a locally common, permanent resident in Missouri, often seen along well timbered Ozark rivers and the wet woodlands of Mingo National Wildlife Refuge and Duck Creek Wildlife Management Area. Red-shoulders are on the National Audubon Society's Blue List and on the Missouri rare species list. Loss of habitat, persecution by man and incompatibility with the larger red-tailed hawk are important limiting factors to Missouri's red-shouldered hawks.
In early spring, red-shoulders become extremely conspicuous and noisy as they soar about, screaming. The nest is a large stick structure similar to that built by red-tailed hawks but less sturdy and built without preference for commanding views. A clutch of two to four eggs is laid in late March and incubated for 26 to 28 days. The young hawks fledge after 35 to 42 days.
Diet: mammals including mice, rats, chipmunks, squirrels and moles (40 to 60 percent); birds including songbirds, woodpeckers and cuckoos (8 to 12 percent); reptiles and amphibians including frogs, toads and snakes (30 to 40 percent); invertebrates including crayfish and insects (10 to 20 percent).
Broad-winged Hawk - Buteo platypterus
1, 2: Adults ... 3, 4: Immatures
Length: 14-18 inches
Wingspread: 32-39 inches
Weight: 14-22 ounces
Habitat: forests, especially along rivers and creeks
The broad-winged hawk is a relatively sluggish, stocky little buteo, easily recognized by the two wide, white bars on the tail and the wailing whistle su-eeee-oh. The broad-wing is a highly migratory species; as many as 1,000 individuals have been sighted at once passing over the Jefferson City and St. Louis areas. These spectacular migrations are best seen in mid-morning on a bright day following the passage of a cold front between September 15 and 25. In Missouri, broad-winged hawks are Missouri residents from April through September, though they are relatively uncommon nesters. In May, broad-wings lay two to four eggs, which both sexes incubate for about 28 days. The young hawks fledge in 28 to 32 days.
Diet: mammals including mice, rats, bats and cottontails (30 to 50 percent); birds including songbirds, cuckoos and woodpeckers (5 to 15 percent); reptiles and amphibians including frogs, snakes, turtles, lizards (20 to 40 percent); invertebrates including crayfish and insects (10 to 50 percent).
Swainson's Hawk - Buteo swainsonii
1, 2: Adults (dark phase) ... 3, 4:Adults (normal) ... 5, 6: Immatures
Length: 18-23 inches
Wingspread: 48-56 inches
Weight: 1.8-2.9 pounds
Habitat: plains and prairies
The Swainson's is a hawk of the western plains that migrates through Missouri in small numbers in spring and fall. It is rather longer-winged and lankier than other Missouri buteos. In flight, it is easily distinguished from other soaring hawks by the dark-brown flight feathers that contrast with the white wing lining. Like the red-shouldered hawk, the feet of Swainson's hawks are relatively weaker than those of other similar-sized hawks. Thus it preys mainly upon small animals.
Diet: mammals including mice, rats, gophers and ground squirrels (60 to 70 percent); birds including songbirds, shorebirds and quail (10 to 15 percent); reptiles and amphibians including snakes and lizards (3 to 10 percent); insects (5 to 30 percent).
Northern Rough-legged Hawk - Buteo lagopus
1, 2: Adults (dark phase) ... 3, 4: Adults (normal)
Length: 19-24 inches
Wingspread: 50-56 inches
Weight: 1.8-3.1 pounds
Habitat: open farmland, prairies and meadows
The northern rough-legged hawk is a bird of the arctic and subarctic open tundras and mountainsides during the nesting season, but it migrates south in winter, residing in Missouri from October through March. The extent and intensity of the migration of rough-legs depends upon prey availability. Because of this, the rough-leg is quite common in Missouri during some years and relatively uncommon in others.
Rough-legs often occur in the same open meadows and fields that Missouri's red-tailed hawks prefer in winter. rough-legs can be identified by the pale head and neck, white tail with a broad, black band at the tip, and broad, dark-brown chest band. In flight, another diagnostic field mark is the white underwings with large, blackish elbow patches.
Rough-legged hawks are graceful in flight when they soar or use wind currents to hover or quarter to and fro just above the ground.
The feet are strong but small for the bird's body size. This is an adaptation to feeding almost entirely on small rodents.
Diet: mammals including mice, shrews, rats, gophers and ground squirrels (90 to 98 percent); birds including songbirds, rails and quail (2 to 8 percent).
Mississippi Kite - Ictinia mississippiensis
1, 2: Adults ... 3, 4: Immatures
Length: 13-16 inches
Wingspread: 35-40 inches
Weight: 7-13 ounces
Habitat: scattered woods and brushy fields near water
The Mississippi kite is a medium-sized, falcon-shaped hawk that is uniformly gray with black wing-tips and a black, unbarred tail. These kites are most often seen on the wing; their flight is buoyant, graceful and smooth, resembling a medium-sized gull.
Mississippi kites are migratory but occur in Missouri from April through September. They are rare in our state, but do nest in low numbers, mainly in southeastern Missouri along the Mississippi River. Two eggs are laid in April and incubated by both sexes for 30 to 32 days. Young kites fledge at 33 to 35 days of age.
These raptors specialize in capturing and eating insects in flight.
Diet: rodents including mice, shrews and moles; reptiles and amphibians including lizards, frogs and small snakes; birds, mostly songbirds (10 percent); invertebrates including crayfish, locusts, dragonflies, grasshoppers, beetles, cicadas, crickets and worms (90 to 100 percent).
Osprey -Pandion haliaetus
1, 2: Adults
Length: 21-25 inches
Wingspread: 58-70 inches
Weight: 2.5-4.3 pounds
Habitat: lakes and rivers
Ospreys are large hawks, mid-way in size between eagles and big buteo hawks. They lack the bony shields over the eyes, have a reversible outer toe, sharp scales on the toes and nostrils that can be closed for plunging into water in pursuit of fish.
Sometimes called fish hawk, the osprey is an uncommon migrant in Missouri in spring and fall. It once nested in Missouri, but no confirmed nestings have been reported in recent years. Ospreys have declined in numbers due to organochlorine pesticides and loss of nesting habitat. They are Blue-Listed by the National Audubon Society and included on Missouri's endangered species list.
Ospreys cannot be confused with any other raptor; they are mostly white underneath, with brown speckles on the breast, brownish-black wrist marks on the wings, brown on the back, with a white head and thick, brown eye stripes. In flight it commonly soars or hovers with a distinct crook in the elbows of the wings.
Ospreys are highly adaptable to artificial nest structures, nesting commonly on old duck blinds, power poles, channel markers and other man-made structures. Nesting platforms erected specifically for these birds have proven to be a successful management technique. In May, three eggs are laid in huge stick nests and incubated by both sexes for 32 or 33 days. The young fledge in 51 to 59 days.
Diet: fish (98 percent), birds and rodents (2 percent).
