I WONDER MANY THINGS, and I’m always especially elated to check one unknown or another off the life list. “Why don’t turkey vultures have feathers on their heads?” is now marked with a big, bold check, thanks to “Hawks in Flight,” recently released in an updated edition, though the book’s main mission is to help us answer a larger challenge: “What big bird is that soaring above me?” I asked co-author Pete Dunne some of my other questions–and bought a couple of extra copies of the book to share with you in the latest Q&A and giveaway. Ready to spread your wings a bit with us?
“Hawks in Flight” is a collaboration between Dunne, director of Cape May, New Jersey’s Audubon Bird Observatory; David Sibley (Dunne’s former student and author of the esteemed Sibley Guides); and Clay Sutton, a noted naturalist, field biologist and writer, also from Cape May.
The new edition comes two-dozen years after the first, and includes 11 species not previously included.
“The book itself really is a framework,” says Dunne. “It’s the ante that gets you into the game.” Bird identification, he says, “is really just a matter of learning a new acquaintance’s name–once you get past that that’s where the real fun begins, and you can start to get to know the person.” Er, or bird.
It’s not just physical field markings, says Dunne—memorizing who has how many wing bars or what tail size and shape—any more than getting to know any of us is about our mere eye color or hair length.
Important insights come from noticing what birds do, and where they do it. When speaking of habitat, and what clues it can offer, Dunne uses the analogy of going to a concert hall versus a football stadium: you expect to hear music in one, and watch a game in another, and that the appropriate players will be present. Same with birds.
For instance, he explains, that’s how you might be able to tell apart the Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter cooperi and A. striatus, respectively, two near-lookalike species). Watch: You’ll see Cooper’s hawks in open spaces and perching at the edge of the woods—but not deep inside. Sharp-shinned are woodland species, foraging in the forest and brushy edge habitat for its prey of small songbirds. Is the accipiter you’re watching pursuing a robin-sized meal instead? A Cooper’s hawk is one such big eater.
So what about those naked-headed vultures (that’s a turkey vulture in the top photo)? It’s an adaptation—the miracle of evolution at work. If you’re a bird whose table manners consist of sticking your head into the guts of carcasses, you see, feathers are just too messy.
the pete dunne q&a
Q. The book title uses “hawks,” but how do all the other associated words in common usage relate to one another, e.g., raptor, accipiter, buteo, falcon, vulture (and even the phrase “birds of prey”). Can you help me put those in some bucketed or relational order?
A. Hawk, raptor, and bird of prey are all sort of synonymous.
Buteo, accipiter, and falcon are sort of subdivisions–family groups–though science says falcons are now parrots, by the way, and I guess a gyrfalcon does looks like a big Arctic macaw.
And then it’s down to species: for instance, the accipiters include the sharp-shinned hawk, the Cooper’s hawk and the Northern goshawk.
Buteos are big, burly and versatile, adapted to a variety of habitats. Accipiters are more woodland species; falcons are open-air specialists.
We accord black and turkey vultures “honorary raptor status” in “Hawks in Flight,” though they are more closely related to storks than diurnal birds of prey. They’re “honorary” because they’re carnivorous, large and raptorial in many ways, and in the arena of this book are easily confused with eagles—hence their inclusion in a guide about raptor identification.
Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) are wonderful fliers, and black vultures look positively nefarious. For a different viewpoint on vultures, look at Andrew Wyeth’s painting “Soaring” [note: a tempera on a gessoed panel, in the permanent collection of the Shelburne Museum in Vermont and this YouTube video by the museum]. The painting looks down on them while they’re flying; it’s wonderful.
Q. Is there a bird in “Hawks in Flight” who hasn’t made it to your life list yet, or if not, maybe name a favorite among its featured species?
A. There are very few regularly occurring North American raptors I haven’t seen.
But I do especially love Northern harriers (Circus cyaneus).
All birds of prey are predators, of course, but harriers really hunt, actively. Harriers are not alone in this regard, in hunting from aloft, but they are so intelligent! Most birds of prey are dumb as a post, but not harriers.
Q. It made me laugh to read in “Hawks in Flight” how rather than looking at a hawk on a utility pole or tree, or soaring over a woodlot and saying, “Which one of America’s 10 buteo species is that?” to instead go with the odds-on favorite: “Ask instead, ‘Is that a red-tail?’ ” it reads. Why has the red-tail (below) has been so successful as a species, and is so widespread?
A. My wife and I have often made a car game of counting red-taileds on trips.
They have demonstrated an amazing ability to adapt to the habitat changes man has made—from agricultural practices in the Northeast [clearing bottomland and leaving hilltops forested] even to the creation of the highway system [with their wide grassy borders that creates ideal habitat for their prey].
The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) makes a wonderful ambassador for birds of prey. They are very striking, large, sedentary and fairly passive, too. By contrast to this big buteo, most accipiters don’t really like to be approached, but the red-tailed gets used to a pattern (such as in a park) and so they are a great way to become intimate with the whole family of raptors, made more so by the fact that they are very common.
One more thing about red-tailed hawks, a sign of change: When I was a kid, red-taileds were courting in March. This year, it was in December!
Q. If the red-tailed is thriving, what hawk isn’t? Why?
A. A raptor species that seems to be declining is the American kestrel (Falco sparverius). It thrives in farmland, but does not seem to acclimate itself to suburbia. It depends largely upon large, standing, dead trees for cavities it uses for nests. Our species doesn’t like to landscape around large, dead trees. Also, Cooper’s hawks may be predating upon kestrel. Every woodlot these days seems to hold a nesting Cooper’s hawk. Kestrels, in search of nest cavities, put themselves (and their newly fledged young) in harm’s way (i.e. in the same woodlots as Cooper’s).
Q. What books or other references do you recommend as “musts” for would-be birders, or places for birdwatching?
A. I know you recommend the “Sibley Guide to Birds” to your blog readers; David was a student of mine, and a co-author of “Hawks in Flight,” and also of “The Wind Masters”—the book that David and I worked on about natural history of birds of prey…in story form.
For people just beginning: Ken Kaufmann’s guide is a really good introductory choice. “What do beginner’s really need?” is his standpoint. For instance, he refers to the field sparrow as “the baby-faced sparrow,” because it like a cherub—so clear, and helpful. And I’m so proud of my recent book, “The Art of Bird Identification.”
As far as where to look for birds: The best place is the closest natural area to you. Doesn’t make any difference where, really. Wherever you are is the tip of that iceberg. And avail yourself of the local resources when you are just starting out—it’s a good way of getting your feet wet.
[Note from Margaret: A zipcode search for Audubon chapter services nationwide is here; the American Birding Association list, here; the Ornithological Council (BIRDNET) list, including Canadian provinces, here. When and where to watch hawks in numbers: click here. This New Jersey Audubon blog post about the impressive, prolific Pete Dunne is also great fun. Enjoy!]
how to enter to win ‘hawks in flight’
What do you wonder about birds—the way I wondered why turkey vultures have no feathers on their heads?
I’ll try to get some of your questions answered in my upcoming story and giveaway about Pete Dunne’s newest book, “The Art of Bird Identification.” So this is your chance!
I know, some of you are shy. No matter. Just say, “Count me in” and your entry will be registered.
I’ll choose two winners at random after entries close at midnight on Monday, December 3. Good luck to all.
(All photos copyright “Hawks in Flight;” used with permission. Disclosure: Amazon links to books, if purchased, yield a small commission I use to buy more giveaway books.)
Turkey Vultures have been my favorite bird for as long as I can remember. I used to call them “Chicken Hawks” and I’d cluck like a chicken to bring them closer to me.
This was way before I knew they only fed on carrion. To see them soar & glide with such beauty, and then to see them up close & really see what they look like, It’s a lesson that everything just a bit ugly has some grace & beauty there too. To me it’s a lesson not to judge too quickly.
Count me in…
I don’t really have a question, just am constantly at peace when I see one of these majestic creatures circling a field as I drive through Western Colorado. I love to see the diversity of species across different parts of the state – down to the specific types found in unique ecosystems (such as in riparian areas v. mid-elevation mountainous regions).
Your very first question was the question I was thinking as I started reading – namely the term hawk vs. falcon, and what each actually meant, or if they were basically the same. Loved that the first question answered that right up! :)
Why is there only one type of hummingbird in the eastern United States?
Thank you for the chance to win.
I have learned quite a lot about Raptors over the years, but one question I do have is why some Red Tailed hawks choose to stay in our area over the winter, and why some migrate. I live in upstate New York, and it gets very cold and snowy here. I would assume it is very hard for the Red Tails to find food with the snow cover.
How can I entice hawks to catch the snakes I find around my house all summer long?
In Spring the birds here start singing all at once just before dawn–which is about 3:30 am–the volume is deafening. What are they doing? Saying goodmorning? Competing for the loudest? Arguing? Having fun–or not?
We can always tell when there is a hawk nearby our backyard garden area…the birds all become silent and still. We have also seen hawks actively hunt by going after the little birds hiding inside of the hedgerows! Do hawks hunt solely by eyesight or do they use other senses as well?
Are there ravens in the northeast??? and if there are how can I tell a raven from a crow? Thanks Maragaret!
Thank you and count me in!
This is great! Thanks for getting me involved in bird count too. I’d love this book.
please count me in… thanks…
Hello Margaret, please include me!
Would love to more readily ID hawks in our area
A few years back, a pair of Broad-winged Hawks nested near my house. Every time I went out to work in the garden, one would come around and “watch” me and eventually swoop down so close that my hair moved from the breeze of its wings. I was so scared, I was always looking over my shoulder. After several close encounters, I would go inside as soon as they showed up. How much risk of actual contact with those talons is there with nesting parents?
is it ever just for fun? what is it like to catch a thermal?
I’m fascinated by the process of migration.
I have always wondered how birds tell time so well. We have three hawks who soar in circles over our area precisely at 3
Count me in. Thank you!
How on earth do small songbirds stay warm in winter months? How do they keep those bony little feet warm enough not to freeze? is their metabolism really THAT fast?
Count me in! Not shy, but no bird questions come to mind right now.
Count me in, and thanks!
count me in please.
Count me in please
A few weeks ago I walked into a park in Center City Philadelphia and saw (what I think was) a hawk sitting on the rim of a fountain. Would love to hear about urban hawks, unless they are urban legend.
Now that the trees have dropped their leaves you can see large bird nest in the trees. Is their a way to tell which bird made them? Often wondered.
I am curious about hawk migration.
I have been watching birds since I was a teenager. I have always been fascinated by them, particularly the raptors. I’ve learned many facts about birds, but I’ve always wondered about our relationship to them. Can we get closer to them (and not just physcially closer)? Is it impossible to cross the dividing line between wild creatures and humans? Am I guilty of anthropomorphism? Probably. I’ve always thought it would be wonderful to have, say, a falcon or an owl as a pet, but of course I know that’s impossible (and illegal, of course). For me, that is the wonderful and tantalizing part of birds, that we long to be closer to them in many ways but we probably never will be.
Cheers,
I have 3 feeders in my backyard. Love the cardinals, finches, nuthatches, chick-a-dees, wrens and all the others who come to visit and eat. In the nearby forest along the river, osprey have nests high up in the dead trees. Count me in!
I always wonder as they fly by which bird it is. I always feel like saying, ‘Hey, wait, come back, need to take another look at you before you’re gone.’ Once in awhile, can catch a good glimpse and identify one. Needless to say, interested in the books you’ve mentioned. Thank you for the chance at winning one.
I wonder what it is about these birds that captivate my 10 yo grandson. If I don’t win this book, I’m getting a copy for him
I live in the suburbs in a development, everyday a hawk comes to hunt for food. I have also seen him on my back porch.I have many sparrows and that is probably what he is looking for. So I am interested in all birds. Would love to win a book.
Count me in!
I wonder what age a bird would be an old bird? Your Q & A was very interesting.
Hawk Mountain in PA is a wonderful and favorite place. Thank you for a chance to win a book.
Oh my Margaret– I am a dyed in the wool/dirt gardener, and in the last decade have become a passionate birder. It is so exciting to see you getting deeper into this world. One of my favorite bird people says, the closer you look at any part of the natural world, it only becomes more complex. So fascinating!
My only question tonight is: I wonder why more folks aren’t crazy curious and fascinated about birds of all feathers? Raptors are some of my faves. Would love to win this book!
Oops, just started reading this interview and yikes! the height of arrogance and human ignorance to say “…most birds of prey are dumb as posts.” By what measure? Read anything by Joe Hutto (the PBS special about imprinting wild turkeys and raising them was based on his book “Illumination in the Flatwoods”), or just consult your own consciousness and accept that we are not superior to any living thing! To quote him in a recent interview that touched on this subject (because if you think raptors are dumb, you should hear what they say about turkeys!): “Humans are, as an evolutionary species, defined in part by an element of aggressive arrogance– highly adaptive for a small creature trying to employ reason rather than overwhelming physical prowess. Because obviously, intelligence is a double edged sword that can turn on us as we become paralyzed by recognizing our conspicuous vulnerability…is it possible that this arrogance, as seen in the light of our very recent and now overwhelming lack of vulnerability, can and has become, more of an evolutionary artifact? Has it now become mal-adaptive and merely a highly destructive form of ignorance?” I’d say, yes it has.
count me in
can’t wait to see this book and find out what all those critters are that circle my chickens!
Unfortunately, a sharp-shinned crashed into our kitchen window over the weekend. Sad, though now I know exactly what one looks like. Please count me in.
I often see smaller birds attacking or annoying a hawk in flight.
What’s up with that?
Count me in! Thank you. Dee
Are bird feeders good for birds? Or is it better to plant things they can eat later?
I wonder if bluebirds migrate from central NYS in the winter….. I was sure I saw some last winter…..
My kids and I are taking part in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Project Feeder Watch this winter for the second time. It is so fun to see not only who is out ij the gardens and at the feeder, but how it changes from November to April. Last week we had a great treat when a Cooper’s Hawk came in for a rest on the crabapple tree right outside our kitchen window. Thanks for a chance to win this book!
My husband and I love to play “Count the RedTails” as we travel from MI to Maine to visit family. Keeps us entertained. Our record is 101, one way. Eagles, Accipiters and falcons are counted separately.
Great that you are raising awareness of raptors in your blog!
Love Hawks. Always spot them when driving on the highways and hope they don’t go after mice and get hit by a car. Have them in the wetlands behind our house and hear their cries often. May have had a mating pair but couldn’t tell. The other birds chase them out but they never give up.
Pete Dunne is such a treasure. Few people realize that he leads bird walks just about every Monday morning in Cape May. Not to be missed!
I have a Rufous Sided Towhee sighting in my suburban backyard virtually the same time every fall for at least 5-6 years. He sticks around for a few days and then leaves as mysteriously as he arrived. I wonder, is it possible it’s the same migrating Rufous Sided Towhee every time? I also wonder the same about the hummingbird that I’ve trained to feed from hand. It’s a female Ruby Throated year after year, but I can’t be sure it’s the same one–even at that close range!
This book sounds very interesting. Please count me in!
The other day I was driving along – and scanning the sky when I saw a shock of white far off in a tree …. could it be …. I immediately pulled over … and yes, it was!!
An eagle was sitting high up in a tree that was along a large field recently harvested. I got out and began walking across the field – wanting to see how close I could get …. not very! Then off he flew – so majestic – almost brings tears to my eyes every time I see one (which is not very often!!!)
I wonder if the crows are really laughing.
A question for Pete from my 16 year old who currently plans to focus on ornithology at university:
Why do several birds of prey have a pane of semi-translucent white feathers on the underside of their wings?
(Also, he’d like to mention he read that more recent genetic findings suggest that vultures are not closely related to storks.)
Thanks for the giveaway!