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Hawks make home in county
Published November 6, 2009
When I moved here in 2005 to work for the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, I soon found that Brazoria County is a decidedly hawk-friendly area.
Several species of birds of prey, or raptors, live right in our backyards. The slender and very graceful Mississippi kite nests high in mossy oaks and spends summer days soaring in acrobatic loops above the canopy where they feed mostly on larger flying insects like cicadas, katydids and dragonflies.
Often their human hosts in the homes below are completely unaware they have these graceful creatures nesting overhead. As summer fades away, the kites begin to move southward, a month-plus journey which takes them to South America, where they feed on cicadas and grasshoppers during the southern summer.
Another common suburban raptor is the noisy red-shouldered hawk. Almost everyone has heard the loud “keyeer” calls of these beautiful hawks, but they can be remarkably hard to get a good look at as they hunt rodents up to the size of squirrels, crawfish, lizards and snakes, as well as large insects, through the neighborhoods. This hawk is easier to see along roads that run through wooded areas where they sometimes perch on power poles. They do not leave the area in winter and are common year-round.
From early fall through spring, there are two other hawks present in our neighborhoods. Unless you have a bird feeder and spend lots of time watching it, you probably won’t catch more than just a fleeting glimpse of these raptors.
The smaller sharp-shinned hawk and the medium sized Cooper’s hawk essentially are very similar species which differ almost entirely by size. Both sit quietly in cover near where small birds congregate. Then they dart into the birds, causing them to panic and scatter in all directions. They usually are able to grab a meal out of the explosion of birds.
One other raptor fairly commonly seen is the large red-tailed hawk. These occur year-round but are much more common in winter. Their hunting style is to soar, usually over more open areas, dropping down to seize a mouse or snake from sometimes impressive heights. Sometimes you might see one perched on top an 80-foot light pole over some of the major roadways in the city, where they scan the grassy road margins for mice, ignoring the roaring traffic beneath.
Hawks and their relatives, eagles, falcons and kites epitomize wildness, yet these species have been able to carve out a place for themselves in the heart of our communities.
John Arvin is research director for the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory.
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