Maryland is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including several species of hawks. These birds of prey are known for their beauty, hunting prowess, and impressive aerial acrobatics. From the majestic red-tailed hawk to the agile sharp-shinned hawk, there are eight different types of hawks that can be found in Maryland.
In this article, we will explore the characteristics of each of these hawk species, including their size, habitat, and hunting habits. Whether you are a birdwatcher or simply interested in learning more about the wildlife in Maryland, this article will provide you with a comprehensive guide to the different types of hawks in the state.
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8 Types Of Hawks In Maryland
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a large and broad hawk species that is commonly found in Maryland. These birds of prey are known for their distinctive cinnamon-red tail and streaked belly bars. Here are some key characteristics of the Red-tailed Hawk based on the search results:
Appearance:
– Red-tailed hawks are large, broad hawks with rounded wings and a short, wide tail.
– They have two color morphs – a dark phase and a rufous phase. The dark phase birds have dark brown coloring all over while rufous phase birds have reddish-brown coloring on the chest.
– Most red-tailed hawks can be easily identified by their streaked belly bars. Their characteristic red-tail is cinnamon above and pale below.
Habitat:
– Red-tailed hawks are found throughout much of the United States and Mexico year-round.
– They usually prefer open areas along scrublands, fields, and farms. Often, red-tailed hawks can be seen perched on telephone poles, posts, and/or trees along edge habitat.
– Red-tailed hawks occupy just about every type of open habitat on the continent. This includes desert, scrublands, grasslands, roadsides, fields and pastures, parks, broken woodland, and (in Mexico) tropical rainforest.
Diet:
– Most of the red-tailed hawk’s diet consists of small mammals including voles, moles, mice, rabbits, and squirrels. Red-tailed hawks also catch and consume other birds such as northern bobwhite quail, European starlings, and blackbirds.
– Mammals make up the bulk of most Red-tailed Hawk meals. Frequent victims include voles, mice, wood rats, rabbits, snowshoe hares, jackrabbits, and ground squirrels. The hawks also eat birds, including pheasants, bobwhite, starlings, and blackbirds; as well as snakes and carrion.
Behavior:
– Red-tailed hawks are large birds with sharp talons and may be aggressive when defending their nest or territory. They will chase off other hawks, eagles, and owls.
– Courting birds fly with legs hanging beneath them, or chase and swoop after each other, sometimes locking talons.
Overall, the Red-tailed Hawk is a fascinating bird species that is commonly found in Maryland.
Sharp-shinned Hawk
The Sharp-shinned Hawk is a small hawk species that can be found in Maryland. Here are some key characteristics of the Sharp-shinned Hawk based on the search results:
Appearance:
– Sharp-shinned hawks are small, long-tailed hawks with short, rounded wings. They have small heads that in flight do not always project beyond the “wrists” of the wings.
– The tail tends to be square-tipped and may show a notch at the tip. Females are considerably larger than males.
– On average, males are the size of an American Kestrel, slightly larger than a jay. Females are one-third larger than males, approaching the size of a male Cooper’s Hawk.
– Adults have blue-gray upperparts and white underparts. Juveniles are brown above and light underneath with dark streaking.
Habitat:
– Sharp-shinned hawks are found throughout much of North, Central, and South America.
– They usually prefer forested areas, including mixed or coniferous forests, open deciduous woodlands, and thickets.
– Sharp-shinned hawks are migratory and can be seen during migration, especially fall migration, when they’re the most plentiful raptors seen at hawkwatch sites.
Diet:
– Sharp-shinned hawks primarily feed on small birds, such as songbirds, which they capture in flight.
– They hunt mostly by perching inside foliage and waiting for small birds to approach, or by approaching stealthily through dense cover, then bursting forth with incredibly swift flight to capture prey in its talons.
Behavior:
– Sharp-shinned hawks are agile fliers that speed through dense woods to surprise their prey.
– They are secretive and tend to favor areas of dense vegetation during the breeding season.
– Sharp-shinned hawks are known for their noticeable buoyant flight, especially in high winds.
Overall, the Sharp-shinned Hawk is a small but agile hawk species that can be found in Maryland.
Cooper’s Hawk
The Cooper’s Hawk is a medium-sized hawk species that can be found in Maryland. Here are some key characteristics of the Cooper’s Hawk based on the search results:
Appearance:
– Cooper’s hawks have short, rounded wings and a very long tail with dark bands, round-ended at the tip. Adults have red eyes and have a black cap.
– They have the classic accipiter shape, with broad, rounded wings and a very long tail. In Cooper’s Hawks, the head often appears large, the shoulders broad, and the tail rounded.
– Males are crow-sized, while females are one-third larger than males and approach the size of a male Northern Goshawk.
Habitat:
– Cooper’s hawks can be found year-round in wooded areas throughout most of the United States and Mexico.
– They prefer mature forests, open woodlands, wood edges, river groves, and mixed woods, typically those with tall trees and with openings or edge habitat nearby. They are also found among trees along rivers through open country, and increasingly in suburbs and cities where some tall trees exist for nest sites.
Diet:
– Cooper’s hawks mainly eat birds, including European Starlings, Mourning Doves, and Rock Pigeons, as well as American Robins, several kinds of jays, Northern Flicker, and quail, pheasants, grouse, and chickens. They sometimes rob nests and also eat chipmunks, hares, mice, squirrels, and bats.
– They hunt by flying with a few stiff wingbeats followed by short glides, then becoming powerful, quick, and very agile in pursuit of prey, allowing the bird to thread its way through tree branches at top speed.
Behavior:
– Cooper’s hawks are secretive and tend to favor areas of dense vegetation during the breeding season.
– In courtship (and occasionally at other times), both sexes may fly over territory with slow, exaggerated wingbeats. Male feeds female for up to a month before she begins laying eggs.
– Nest site is in a tree, either deciduous or coniferous, usually 25-50′ above ground. Often placed on top of some pre-existing foundation, such as an old nest of a large bird or squirrel, or clump of mistletoe.
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Overall, the Cooper’s Hawk is a fascinating bird species that can be found in Maryland.
Red-shouldered Hawk
The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium-sized hawk species that can be found in Maryland. Here are some key characteristics of the Red-shouldered Hawk based on the search results:
Appearance:
– Red-shouldered hawks are medium-sized hawks with broad, rounded wings and medium-length tails that they fan out when soaring.
– They have barred reddish-peachy underparts and a strongly banded tail. In flight, translucent crescents near the wingtips are visible.
– They are noticeably smaller than a Red-tailed Hawk but larger than a Broad-winged Hawk, measuring between crow and goose.
Habitat:
– Red-shouldered hawks can be found year-round in wooded areas throughout much of the eastern United States, including Maryland.
– They prefer bottomland hardwood stands, flooded deciduous swamps, and upland mixed deciduous-conifer forests with an open subcanopy, which makes hunting easier.
– Red-shouldered hawks search for prey while perched on a treetop or soaring over woodlands. When they sight prey, they kill it by dropping directly onto it from the air.
Diet:
– Red-shouldered hawks primarily feed on small mammals, such as mice and voles, as well as amphibians, reptiles, and insects.
– They may also eat birds, such as woodpeckers, doves, and jays.
Behavior:
– Red-shouldered hawks are known for their distinctive whistle, which is one of the best ways to find them. They can be found in and around wet forests, where they may be hunting from a perch along a stream or pond.
– They are monogamous and return to the same nesting territory year after year.
– Red-shouldered hawks are known to be aggressive when defending their nest or territory and will chase off other hawks, eagles, and owls.
Overall, the Red-shouldered Hawk is a fascinating bird species that can be found in Maryland’s wooded areas.
Broad-winged Hawk
The Broad-winged Hawk is a medium-sized hawk species that can be found in Maryland during the summer months. Here are some key characteristics of the Broad-winged Hawk based on the search results:
Appearance:
– Broad-winged hawks are small, compact raptors with chunky bodies and large heads. They have broad wings that come to a distinct point and a short, square tail.
– They have two types of coloration: a dark morph with fewer white areas and a light morph that is more pale overall.
– Broad-winged hawks measure between crow and goose, with a body size ranging from 32 to 44 cm (13 to 17 in) in length and weighing 265 to 560 g (9.3 to 19.8 oz).
Habitat:
– Broad-winged hawks can be found during the summer months in eastern North America, as far west as British Columbia and Texas. They then migrate south to winter in the Neotropics from Mexico south to southern Brazil.
– They prefer dense deciduous or mixed deciduous-coniferous forests with water and openings such as roads, trails, wetlands, or meadows nearby for foraging.
– Broad-winged hawks are migratory and can be seen during migration, especially at hawkwatch sites such as Hawk Ridge, Minnesota, and Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania.
Diet:
– Broad-winged hawks primarily feed on small mammals, such as mice and voles, as well as amphibians, reptiles, and insects.
– They hunt from a perch and typically swoop down on prey to surprise it and capture it on the ground.
Behavior:
– Broad-winged hawks are most easily seen during migration when they form large aerial flocks, especially in southern Texas, in Mexico along the Gulf coast in Veracruz, and along the shores of the Great Lakes.
– They are shy and tend to avoid nesting near humans.
– Broad-winged hawks are known for their distinctive call, which is a piercing, two-parted whistle.
Overall, the Broad-winged Hawk is a migratory bird species that can be found in Maryland during the summer months.
Northern Harrier
The Northern Harrier is a medium-sized hawk species that can be found in Maryland. Here are some key characteristics of the Northern Harrier based on the search results:
Appearance:
– Northern Harriers are slender, medium-sized raptors with long, fairly broad wings and a long, rounded tail. They have a flat, owl-like face and a small, sharply hooked bill.
– Males are a beautiful slate grey and white, while females are a dark chocolate brown with lighter, buffy streaking on the head and a buff-colored breast.
– Northern Harriers measure between 41-52 cm (16-20 in) in length and have a wingspan of 97-122 cm (38-48 in).
Habitat:
– Northern Harriers can be found year-round in open country throughout much of North America, including Maryland.
– They prefer wide open spaces such as grasslands, marshes, prairies, and old pastures for hunting and nesting.
– Northern Harriers are migratory and can be seen during migration, especially in the fall and spring, when they may be present in large numbers at hawkwatch sites.
Diet:
– Northern Harriers primarily feed on small mammals, such as voles, mice, and shrews, as well as birds, reptiles, and insects.
– They hunt by flying low over open areas, listening for the sounds of their prey scurrying below, and then diving down to capture it in their talons.
Behavior:
– Northern Harriers are known for their distinctive flight style, which involves low, slow, coursing flight over open areas.
– They are monogamous and return to the same nesting territory year after year.
– Northern Harriers are known to be aggressive when defending their nest or territory and will chase off other hawks, eagles, and owls.
Overall, the Northern Harrier is a fascinating bird species that can be found in Maryland’s open country.
Northern Goshawk
The Northern Goshawk is a medium to large-sized hawk species that is found in the northern parts of North America and Eurasia. Here are some key characteristics of the Northern Goshawk based on the search results:
Appearance:
– Northern Goshawks are the largest and bulkiest of the accipiters, with broad, rounded wings and long tails.
– They have a flat, owl-like face and a small, sharply hooked bill. Males are slate grey and white, while females are dark chocolate brown with lighter, buffy streaking on the head and a buff-colored breast.
– Northern Goshawks measure between 41-52 cm (16-20 in) in length and have a wingspan of 97-122 cm (38-48 in).
Habitat:
– Northern Goshawks are found in large tracts of forest throughout much of North America and Eurasia, including Maryland.
– They prefer mature forests, open woodlands, and mixed woods, typically those with tall trees and with openings or edge habitat nearby for foraging.
– Northern Goshawks are highly territorial and maintain regularly spaced home ranges that constitute their territory. During nesting, the home ranges of goshawk pairs are from 600 to 4,000 ha (1,500 to 9,900 acres) and these vicinities tend to be vigorously defended both to maintain rights to their nests and mates as well as the ranges’ prey base.
Diet:
– Northern Goshawks primarily feed on small to medium-sized mammals, such as rabbits, hares, squirrels, and grouse, as well as birds and reptiles.
– They hunt by flying low over the forest canopy, listening for the sounds of their prey scurrying below, and then diving down to capture it in their talons.
Behavior:
– Northern Goshawks are secretive birds that are hard to find. They are vocal near their nests, but they are also fiercely defensive and have been known to attack people who come too close to a nest.
– They are monogamous and return to the same nesting territory year after year.
– Northern Goshawks are known for their fierce defense of their nest and territory and will attack other birds, animals, and even humans that come too close.
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Overall, the Northern Goshawk is a fascinating bird species that can be found in Maryland’s large tracts of forest.
Rough-legged Hawk
The Rough-legged Hawk, also known as the Rough-legged Buzzard in Europe, is a medium to large-sized hawk species that is found in Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America, Europe, and Russia during the breeding season and migrates south for the winter. Here are some key characteristics of the Rough-legged Hawk based on the search results:
Appearance:
– Rough-legged Hawks are fairly large hawks with broad wings that are fairly long and narrow compared to other Buteo hawks. The tail is also longer than in many other buteos.
– They have a small, fairly flat head with a small, sharply hooked bill. The wingtips are broad and often swept back slightly from the wrist, giving a hint of an M shape to the wing.
– Rough-legged Hawks measure between crow and goose, with a body size ranging from 47-52 cm (18.5-20.5 in) in length and weighing 715-1400 g (25.2-49.4 oz). They have a wingspan of 132-138 cm (52.0-54.3 in).
Habitat:
– Rough-legged Hawks can be found in open areas like fields, marshes, and tundra escarpments during the winter months.
– They prefer to breed in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of North America, Europe, and Asia, typically in open tundra and semi-open taiga of Alaska and Canada.
– Rough-legged Hawks are solitary migrants and can be seen soaring and alternately flapping and gliding while migrating.
Diet:
– Rough-legged Hawks primarily feed on small mammals, such as mice, rats, gerbils, pikas, shrews, and squirrels, as well as birds and insects.
– They hunt by hovering over fields, watching for movement below, or by watching from a perch or patrolling low over the ground.
Behavior:
– Rough-legged Hawks are known for their feathered legs, which help conserve heat in cold environments.
– They are monogamous and typically nest on cliffs or in trees, with a bulky mass of sticks that sometimes contains caribou bones.
– Rough-legged Hawks are known to be aggressive when defending their nest or territory and will attack other birds, animals, and even humans that come too close.
Overall, the Rough-legged Hawk is a fascinating bird species that can be found in open areas during the winter months in Maryland.
FAQS
1. How many types of hawks can be found in Maryland?
There are eight types of hawks that can be found in Maryland: Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Northern Harrier, Northern Goshawk, and Rough-legged Hawk.
2. Are all hawk species in Maryland year-round residents?
No, some hawk species in Maryland are migratory, while others are year-round residents. The Broad-winged Hawk, Northern Goshawk, and Rough-legged Hawk are migratory, while the Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, and Northern Harrier are year-round residents.
3. What habitats do hawks in Maryland prefer?
The habitats that hawks in Maryland prefer vary depending on the species. For example, Red-tailed Hawks and Cooper’s Hawks prefer open areas along scrublands, fields, and farms, while Red-shouldered Hawks prefer wooded areas near water. Northern Goshawks prefer mature forests, open woodlands, and mixed woods, while Rough-legged Hawks prefer open areas like fields, marshes, and tundra escarpments during the winter months.
4. What do hawks in Maryland eat?
Hawks in Maryland primarily feed on small mammals, such as mice, voles, and squirrels, as well as birds, reptiles, and insects. The specific diet of each hawk species varies.
5. Are hawks in Maryland aggressive?
Hawks in Maryland can be aggressive when defending their nest or territory. They will chase off other hawks, eagles, and owls, and some species have been known to attack humans that come too close to their nest or territory.
6. When is the best time to see hawks in Maryland?
The best time to see hawks in Maryland varies depending on the species. Some species, such as the Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, and Northern Harrier, are year-round residents and can be seen throughout the year. Other species, such as the Broad-winged Hawk, Northern Goshawk, and Rough-legged Hawk, are migratory and can be seen during migration, especially in the fall and spring.
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Category: Birds
