Outdoor Ontario

Wildlife Reports => Toronto Wildlife => Topic started by: jonah on February 14, 2009, 11:11:23 AM

Title: rare sighting
Post by: jonah on February 14, 2009, 11:11:23 AM

Hello,
I was filling my feeders yesterday and replaced them on their hanger, and returned to my living room where I view the birds each morning. I immediately saw a large bird inside our mulberry tree hopping around quite agressively. It was too large for a blackbird and upon closer watch, I realized it was a red-tailed hawk, and it was after a bird inside the tree. The hawk did knock its' prey down to the ground, jumped on it with talons out, and flew off with it in its' grasp. Wow, I had never seen such a site before, especially in the city. We do have some bush area nearby, probably where the hawk lives.
I just wanted to share this experience with you .
Thanks.
Jonah.

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Post by: Misty01 on February 14, 2009, 07:51:40 PM

The first time I saw the sharp shinned take a house sparrow from our feeder I was shocked. My neighbour laughed and said that he's been watching it take birds out of our front tree for years. When I put a suet bell out on our back cherry tree the sharp shinned sat on the fence looking at it, as if to get a better flight of attack. lol
They are really amazing to see and I think they have adapted very well to suburban/city life to the point that most people don't even see them if they aren't paying attention.

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Post by: jeffnature on February 16, 2009, 02:16:53 PM

with so many preditor birds swooping around mississauga im never really sure wich is wich, i would assume that this hawk is a red tail . can anyone identify this hawk that i had seen eating a squirrel?
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh26 ... /hawk2.jpg (http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh265/jeffnature/hawk2.jpg)
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh26 ... e/hawk.jpg (http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh265/jeffnature/hawk.jpg)

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Post by: Bluffs Birder on February 16, 2009, 02:56:28 PM

Hi Jeff,

Your assumption is correct, that is a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk.  The area of dark feathers across it's stomach or "belly band" as it's called is an easy way to identify a Red-tail, also, an adult bird would have the red tail, hence the name.  Great shots!

Walter

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Post by: Ann Brokelman on February 17, 2009, 03:08:40 PM

It is for sure a red tail.