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Some Common Raptor Species in Montana

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SOME COMMON RAPTOR SPECIES IN MONTANA Falconiformes Cathartidae Turkey Vulture (SR) Accipitridae Northern Harrier (Marsh Hawk) (SR) Northern Goshawk (PR) , Cooper's Hawk (Chicken Hawk) (PR) * Accipiter-like profile Sharp-shinned Hawk (PR) - and habits Golden Eagle (PR) Bald Eagle (PR) Osprey (SR) Red-tailed Hawk (SR) , Swainson's Hawk (SR) * Buteo-like profile Rough-legged Hawk (WR) * and habits Ferruginous Hawk (SR) - Falconidae Prairie Falcon (SR) , Peregrine Falcon (Duck Hawk) (SR) * Falco-like profile Merlin (Pigeon Hawk) (PR) * and habits American Kestrel (Sparrow Hawk) (SR) - Strigiformes Strigidae Great Gray Owl (PR) Great Horned Owl (PR) Long-eared Owl (PR) Short-eared Owl (PR) Western Screech-Owl (PR) Northern Saw-whet Owl (PR) Northern Pygmy-Owl (PR) Burrowing Owl (SR) __________________________________________ SR = summer resident PR = permanent resident WR = winter resident 49 Montana Raptors Raptors include birds with (1) strongly decurved bills for tearing flesh and (2) sharply decurved talons for grasping and killing prey. In Montana, the raptors include basically 2 orders: Falconiformes (Vultures and diurnal birds of prey) and Strigiformes (nocturnal birds of prey). With regard to their body and wing profile, most diurnal raptors can be categorized into cone of 3 basic groups, the name of which comes from the common genus in the group: (1) Accipiter-like birds have relatively short, rounded wings and long tails. This morphology is associated with a high degree of maneuverability; the birds commonly dart in and out among dense vegetation and take bird prey from the ground. (2) Falco-like birds have medium-sized wings that taper to a point, and fairly straight tails. The tapered wings facilitate a rapid wing beat; the birds commonly fly extremely rapidly (approximately 200 mph?) and take bird prey from mid-air. (3) Buteo-like birds have long, broad wings that are deeply slotted at the tip, and wedge-shaped tails. The broad wings facilitate utilization of wind currents for soaring; they commonly soar high above the ground and search for mammal prey below, then stoop down to capture the prey. They also stoop onto prey from elevated perches. 50 Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) ID: Best identified by its flight -- the wings are held up in a v-shape and the flight looks extremely unsteady; black with red heads. Range: S. Canada to Patagonia; formerly abundant in Montana and now rarer, presumably due to the slaughter of Bison. Habitat: Everywhere except heavily forested sites. Food: Principal avian scavenger in the U.S.; relies on carrion for food, which it can apparently find in part through olfaction. Habits/Reproduction: Migratory; comes to Montana to breed; nests on precipitous cliffs generally with little or no nest material; as with most raptors, has a couple of young generally; they rely heavily on air currents for travel, and generally wait atop trees or cliffs in the early morning until thermals develop; both sexes incubate and both feed young by regurgitation. 51 Northern Harrier = Marsh Hawk (Circus cyaneus) ID: Best told by flight pattern--generally found flying within a few meters above marshy or grassy vegetation; males are all white below with black wing tips and females are brown; both sexes have white rump patch. Range: Canada to South America; common in Montana. Habitat: Most often found in marshy areas, but also grasslands where moisture is nearby; easy to see at Ninepipes and Metcalf Refuges. Food: Mice, frogs, snakes (occasionally grouse). Habits/Reproduction: Most are migratory; hunting methods include the low flight above vegetation as mentioned above followed by a quick dive onto prey, or possibly hovering above prey before dropping onto them; courtship behavior is dramatic--males fly up and down making a series of "U's" and do somersaults at the top of their flight; also drop prey to female wile both are in the air; nests generally near ground amid reeds; females incubate, male passes food to female in mid-air. 52 Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) ID: Largest accipiter--bigger than a crow; has a distinctive white eye-stripe and fluffy under- tail coverts. Range: Canada--U.S.; common in western Montana. Habitat: Dense forests of most any type. Food: Birds the size of grouse, ducks, jays; occasionally rabbits and squirrels. Habits/Reproduction: Permanent resident; very secretive, sometimes result in a heavy loss to poultry farmers; males build stick nests in trees and aggressively defend these sites; hunt in accipiter fashion; females incubate, males provide food, usually by giving prey to female at some distance from the nest. 53 Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperi) ID: Smaller than crow, larger than jay; rounded tail and black cap on head. Range: North America. Habitat: All forested areas. Food: Birds the size of jays, but occasionally larger grouse and smaller passerines. Habits/Reproduction: Most migrate out in winter; this is the "chicken hawk" that has given birds of prey a bad name in the farmers' world; males build most of stick nest in tree; female incubates; male brings food to female away from nest; later, both tend young. 54 Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) ID: Smallest of the accipiters-smaller than a jay; has a squared-off tail. Range: North America. Habitat: Forested areas. Food: Tiny birds; mostly warblers, sparrows and the like. Habits/Reproduction: Most migrate; feed by dashing boldly through the forest and coming upon a group of ground-foraging birds by surprise; generally nest in conifers in stick nests; the alarm calls of tiny birds often hint that the raptor is nearby; both sexes incubate, male provided food during nestling period. 55 Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) ID: HUGE, all dark bird with golden neck feathers; immatures have white specks on hind portion of wing. Range: N. America. Habitat: Open country; commonest in plains and deserts. Food: Large rodents, rabbits, large birds and smaller (young) big game. Habits/Reproduction: Permanent residents; like a buteo, it soars around searching for relatively large prey on the ground; it nests in stick nests on cliffs generally. Monogamous; both sexes build nest, incubate; young fed by female with food brought by male. 56 Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) ID: White head and tail on a huge bird; immatures resemble Golden Eagles, but the white specks are on the leading edge of wing and body. Range: North America. Habitat: Riparian habitats mostly. Food: Mostly fish, but also ducks and smaller mammals. Habits/Reproduction: MIGRATORY; most of the birds we see are wintering individuals, but breeding numbers have increased in the last decade. At Lake McDonald, they congregate to feast on the salmon that have finished spawning. They nest in large, conspicuous stick nests in a live tree, and may reuse old nests year after year (one in Ohio is 12' high and 30 years old!); they have a distinctive upward whistle and downward whinny; monogamous; both sexes build nest, incubate and feed young. 57 Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) ID: Mostly white below; Buteo-sized bird with black wrists and black stripe through the face. Range: N. America. Habitat: Lakes and large reservoirs. Food: Fish. Habits/Reproduction: Migratory; arrive after ice melts and build huge stick nests atop snags--reuse nests from year to year; generally hover above prey, then dive feet-first into the water and capture fish with pin cushiony feet; fish always carried head first; voice is distinctive downward whistled "yewk, yewk"; monogamous; both sexes build nest, incubate; feed young. 58 BUTEOS NAME Red-tailed Hawk Swainson's Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) (Buteo swainsoni) (Buteo lagopus) (Buteo regalis) ID Narrow black Dark head; dark Light head, black Dark legs and light, leading edge on trailing edge on belly and broad unbanded tail. wings plus dark wings; dark terminal black tail band breast feathers; red band on tail. terminally. tail; voice distinctive "wheeerr". RANGE North America; Western North Canada in summer - Western North migrates out of American to South U.S. in winter. America. northern areas in America in winter. winter. HABITAT Wooded areas, but Prairies near Open country, near Open plains, can be seen most riparian habitat. wetter areas badlands, rare in anywhere. normally. western MT. FOOD Rodents, snakes, Pocket gophers, Voles, field mice. Prairie dogs, rabbits. rabbits. ground squirrels. HABITS Both sexes build Nest in trees in Here only in the Stick nests in trees stick nest in trees or riparian habitats winter where it or on cliffs; both on cliffs; both sexes usually; not sure replaces the Red- parents incubate incubate and feed how they find and tailed Hawk; nest on and feed young. young. specialize on rock outcrops or gophers; both sexes trees; both sexes incubate and feed incubate, male young. brings food. All have interesting courtship displays in the air that include undulating flight and parachuting. In general, Buteo species tend to separate out ecologically by occupying different habitats; they eat similar types of food in these different habitat types. Falcons, on the other hand, tend to be found together in the same habitats, but eat different sized prey (the size of prey is positively correlated with their body size). Accipiters are like falcons in this respect. 59 FALCONS NAME Prairie Falcon Peregrine Falcon Merlin Kestrel (Falco (Falco mexicanus) (Falco peregrinus) (Falco columbarius) sparverius) ID 2 stripes down face; 1 bold stripe down Jay-sized; dark tail Smallest; 2 facial black arm pits. face; no black arm with white stripes. stripes, red back pits. and tail (blue wings in male). NEW WORLD Western RANGE North America North America North America North America HABITAT Open drier country Open moister Near forested areas. Forested or open with cliffs. country with cliffs. country. FOOD Jay/meadow lark- Duck-sized birds, Passerines; Insects, snakes, sized birds. shorebirds. waxwings a favorite small rodents.
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