Pardon my ignorance Alex, but how big are those hawks? They look huge. That third pic is really nice.
Red-tails are about 18 to 22 inches long, from bill to tail-tip, with a wingspan of four feet or more. Females are larger than males, a peculiarity of raptors. Red-tails are our most widespread large hawks; very adaptable, they are found throughout North America. As you can see, they are learning to live in cities. The only other widespread nesting raptor in NYC is the little Kestrel Falcon, which is hardly bigger than a Robin: there’s a nest in hole in a gutter near where I live. A few Peregrine Falcons, all ultimately descending from release programs, now nest on tall buildings or bridges around town, and here or there some Accipiters and Owls may nest, mostly on the edges of the city.
My Dad used to put Kestrel nesting boxes up all over the place. If you build them to spec, Kestrels will use them (kinda like Purple Martin Houses).
This is done for lots of birds: Swallows, Bluebirds, Wood Ducks, etc., and with some success. There’s nothing wrong with living in a hole (cavity nesting, as we say in the trade) and many species are too set in their ways to do anything else. That’s the point about Red-tailed adaptability: they normally nest in trees, but being able to adjust to using buildings expands their niche. Many cavity birds were hard hit by the introduction of Starlings and House Sparrows, which are aggressive and have displaced our native species from their preferred holes, accelerating their decline. In many places Bluebirds and Martins are largely reliant on man-made nest boxes. Kestrels can pretty much take care of themselves; you’d be surprised how many there are in the city. Again, they’ve prospered by learning to use gutters and whatnot instead of just rotten trees. I’ve watched “mine” send out youngsters for the last three years, and hope to see more this year. A woman who lives on their block said they’d been there at least ten years (of course she also thought they were Peregrines, but I don’t doubt her, although it’s likely there've been several individuals over that time.)
I was picturing gutter or gutter or gutter. I was ready for some melodrama. Of course a rain gutter makes perfect sense, or more sense.
LOL. There're gutters and then there are gutters; context is everything. There actually are some birds that nest in holes in the ground, like (suprisingly) the Kingfisher, but while your second link shows urchins in the gutter they shouldln't be confused with Sea Urchins.
My turn, LOL. thanks!
context? or not the sharpest tool in the shed? (I was thinking Kingfisher's I swear).
Kestrels (also called Sparrow Hawks around here) are so surprisingly colourful! There is great autumn raptor-watching spot in South Western Ontario called Hawk Cliff. The hawks & eagles (all kinds of them) ride thermals along the north shore of Lake Eerie and eventually cross over southbound near Point Pelee. At Hawk Cliff on a good day you can literally see thousands of birds passing by.
|
- jim 4-01-2004 6:49 pm
Red-tails are about 18 to 22 inches long, from bill to tail-tip, with a wingspan of four feet or more. Females are larger than males, a peculiarity of raptors. Red-tails are our most widespread large hawks; very adaptable, they are found throughout North America. As you can see, they are learning to live in cities. The only other widespread nesting raptor in NYC is the little Kestrel Falcon, which is hardly bigger than a Robin: there’s a nest in hole in a gutter near where I live. A few Peregrine Falcons, all ultimately descending from release programs, now nest on tall buildings or bridges around town, and here or there some Accipiters and Owls may nest, mostly on the edges of the city.
- alex 4-01-2004 7:09 pm [add a comment]
a nest in a gutter? that sounds just too sad. great photos - thank you.
- selma 4-01-2004 7:58 pm [add a comment]
My Dad used to put Kestrel nesting boxes up all over the place. If you build them to spec, Kestrels will use them (kinda like Purple Martin Houses).
- sally mckay 4-01-2004 9:31 pm [add a comment]
This is done for lots of birds: Swallows, Bluebirds, Wood Ducks, etc., and with some success. There’s nothing wrong with living in a hole (cavity nesting, as we say in the trade) and many species are too set in their ways to do anything else. That’s the point about Red-tailed adaptability: they normally nest in trees, but being able to adjust to using buildings expands their niche. Many cavity birds were hard hit by the introduction of Starlings and House Sparrows, which are aggressive and have displaced our native species from their preferred holes, accelerating their decline. In many places Bluebirds and Martins are largely reliant on man-made nest boxes. Kestrels can pretty much take care of themselves; you’d be surprised how many there are in the city. Again, they’ve prospered by learning to use gutters and whatnot instead of just rotten trees. I’ve watched “mine” send out youngsters for the last three years, and hope to see more this year. A woman who lives on their block said they’d been there at least ten years (of course she also thought they were Peregrines, but I don’t doubt her, although it’s likely there've been several individuals over that time.)
- alex 4-01-2004 10:31 pm [add a comment]
I was picturing gutter or gutter or gutter. I was ready for some melodrama. Of course a rain gutter makes perfect sense, or more sense.
- selma 4-01-2004 10:57 pm [add a comment]
LOL. There're gutters and then there are gutters; context is everything. There actually are some birds that nest in holes in the ground, like (suprisingly) the Kingfisher, but while your second link shows urchins in the gutter they shouldln't be confused with Sea Urchins.
- alex 4-01-2004 11:42 pm [add a comment]
My turn, LOL. thanks!
context? or not the sharpest tool in the shed? (I was thinking Kingfisher's I swear).
- selma 4-02-2004 7:11 pm [add a comment]
When they start sharpening the tools it's time to shed the shed.
- alex 4-02-2004 9:46 pm [add a comment]
Kestrels (also called Sparrow Hawks around here) are so surprisingly colourful! There is great autumn raptor-watching spot in South Western Ontario called Hawk Cliff. The hawks & eagles (all kinds of them) ride thermals along the north shore of Lake Eerie and eventually cross over southbound near Point Pelee. At Hawk Cliff on a good day you can literally see thousands of birds passing by.
- sally mckay 4-01-2004 11:58 pm [add a comment]