![]() ![]() As we get closer to nesting season, the two will perch even closer together and soon end up side by side. They often perch alone, but as spring approaches, you may see a second hawk perching not far away. In fall and winter, you may have noticed red-tailed hawks that typically perch along roadways. Occasionally, red-tailed hawks will shadow each other, mimicking the movements of the first in flight, like a graceful couple in a ballet. But they also move in a graceful spiral, dancing in the air. From the side, it appears that they are weaving up and down in a scallop pattern, and this is indeed sometimes what they are doing. This pattern is often done high in the sky in spirals of four or five feet in diameter. We have watched several patterns of display, but the most elegant flight is when they spiral in the air, swooping down near the ground on the diving display, then rising on open wings to the top of their flight path to repeat the dance again. If you are lucky, you may get a chance to observe the red-tailed hawk courtship. But the red-shouldered hawk is definitely more capable in forested areas, more agile in flight, and will resume nesting in the territory nearby. The red-tailed hawk is a bit larger, stronger, and more aggressive, and of course was able to chase the other hawk out of the area. We recently witnessed a red-tailed hawk chasing a red-shouldered hawk into the forested area on the edge of the wetland. Their prey species overlap, but the red-shouldered hawk consumes many frogs, snakes and other herptile creatures as well as mice, while the red-tailed hawk prefers small mammals. Red-tailed hawks use a more open area for hunting and typically nest on the edge of the woods, rather than deep in the forest as does the red-shouldered hawk. ![]() Although both the red-tailed hawk and the red-shouldered hawk nest on our sanctuary in western Midland County, each has its own niche. Sax Zim Winter Birding Fest Northern Hawk Owl and.One of the great things that I have found out about blogging is that I seem to learn something new all the time which in the end is making me more knowlegeable and a better birder. Thanks AW for visiting my site and asking a great question. Their longer tail would help them in their maneuvering. Birds that live inside more forested areas, such as red-shouldered hawks, would need to do more flapping and maneuvering to get around. Since red-tails do much of their hunting over open fields they can spend a lot of time soaring and conserve energy. Red-tails are a border species who typically live at the edge of the woods where it meets open field. ![]() The red-shouldered hawk is usually found in wooded area near to a water source. The differences in flight may correlate to each species preferred habitat. The above red-tail photo was also taken in California in 2007 and shows the differences in the wing shape between the two species of buteos. Red-tails typically appear stockier with a shorter tail that often has a red tone to it. The red-tail can also hover or kite in the wind. When it is soaring the red-tail will usually have its wings in a slight dihedral, or V shape. The active flight of the red-tailed hawk has slow deep wing beats. ![]() The photo above was taken in California in 2007 and is a good example of the shape of the red-shouldered in flight. Other features that can help identify a red-shoulder in flight are the translucent crescents at the base of the primaries, the smaller size and the longer tail. When it is soaring the wingtips of the red-shouldered hawk droop slightly, and it does not hover. The active flight of the red-shouldered hawk is accipiter like, with 3-5 quick shallow beats followed by a period of gliding. However the Carolina Raptor Center website does include an explanation of flight in each raptors description. Most online resources that I found do not explain very well, if at all, the flight patterns of the birds. So I did a little bit of research and here is what I have found. This was a great question and one that, quite frankly, I was not sure what the answer was. On a post that I made earlier this week about a red-shouldered hawk, that I relocated, AW posted a comment asking how the red-shouldered hawk flies with respect to the red-tailed hawk. ![]()
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