Photo: Lee Greengrass Lee Photo: MaryPhoto: Malleck Common Raptors Brochure 2020-08.indd 2 2 2020-08.indd 2020-08.indd Brochure Brochure Raptors Raptors Common Common 1/5/21 10:00 AM AM 10:00 10:00 1/5/21 1/5/21 go here go Bugs Bugs Other photos courtesy Jerry Ting unless otherwise noted. otherwise unless Ting Jerry courtesy photos Other 20200828 Stanworth Dennis Photo: On the cover: the On Photo: Marc Crumpler Marc Photo: hawk Red-tailed Crumpler Marc Photo: regionalparksfoundation.org dog pass, and more. 510-544-2220 510-544-2220 more. and pass, dog enjoy free day-use parking, swimming, swimming, parking, day-use free enjoy Regional Parks Membership Parks Regional carefully guarded patch of dense vegetation. dense of patch guarded carefully 510-544-2233, [email protected] 510-544-2233, its ears. Nesting usually occurs on the ground in a a in ground the on occurs usually Nesting ears. its Center Education Area/Environmental Nature Tilden to owls, which helps direct sound waves toward toward waves sound direct helps which owls, to [email protected] 510-544-3169, Garden: Botanic circular ridge of feathering around the face) similar similar face) the around feathering of ridge circular Park Regional Tilden Berkeley , by sound as well as sight, aided by a facial disk, (a (a disk, facial a by aided sight, as well as sound by Open weekends only weekends Open be spotted from a ¼ mile away. This raptor hunts hunts raptor This away. mile ¼ a from spotted be [email protected] 510-544-3249, sport a distinctive white rump-patch, which can can which rump-patch, white distinctive a sport Sunol-Ohlone Regional Wilderness Regional Sunol-Ohlone Sunol , the smaller male is gray with black wing tips. Both Both tips. wing black with gray is male smaller the Open summer weekends summer Open meadow. The female is larger and brown, while while brown, and larger is female The meadow. [email protected] , 510-544-3220 (Coyote Hills) (Coyote low, tilting side-to-side as it cruises over marsh and and marsh over cruises it as side-to-side tilting low, Garin/Dry Creek Pioneer Regional Parks Regional Pioneer Creek Garin/Dry Hayward , northern harrier or “marsh hawk” often flies very very flies often hawk” “marsh or harrier northern One of the easiest hawks to identify in flight, the the flight, in identify to hawks easiest the of One Open summer weekends summer Open [email protected] 510-544-3146, Length: ng Span: ng Wi 18” 43” Del Valle Regional Park Regional Valle Del , Livermore , recent years. years. recent Circus cyaneus Circus 510-544-3187, [email protected] 510-544-3187, more frequent in in frequent more Northern Harrier Northern Crab Cove Visitor Center and Aquarium Aquarium and Center Visitor Cove Crab pairs have become become have pairs Crown Memorial State Beach State Memorial Crown Alameda , Chabot, where nesting nesting where Chabot, 510-544-3220, [email protected] 510-544-3220, Lake Del Valle or Lake Lake or Valle Del Lake Coyote Hills Regional Park Regional Hills Coyote , Fremont , reliable sighting, head to to head sighting, reliable the shores of San Francisco Bay, but for a more more a for but Bay, Francisco San of shores the 510-544-2750, [email protected] 510-544-2750, mate for life. for mate along seen occasionally are eagles bald Migrating Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve Regional Mines Diamond Black , Antioch , flight acrobatics during courtship, and most pairs pairs most and courtship, during acrobatics flight 2007. in list Species Endangered U.S. the from 510-544-3050, [email protected] 510-544-3050, Golden eagles are famous for their spectacular spectacular their for famous are eagles Golden removed were they that comeback striking a Big Break Visitor Center at the Delta Delta the at Center Visitor Break Big prominent white patches in the wings and tail. tail. and wings the in patches white prominent such made has population eagle bald the DDT, of Big Break Regional Shoreline Regional Break Big Oakley , the nape behind the head. Immature birds show show birds Immature head. the behind nape the effects the by ravaged Once across. feet 10 to up 510-544-2797, [email protected] 510-544-2797, are dark overall, with blonde-gold feathers at at feathers blonde-gold with overall, dark are measure can nests stick sturdy their year, after Ardenwood Historic Farm Historic Ardenwood , Fremont , eagle is hard to mistake for another bird. Adults Adults bird. another for mistake to hard is eagle year Re-used raccoons. as large as mammals and Visitor Centers Visitor wingspan that can exceed seven feet, the golden golden the feet, seven exceed can that wingspan waterfowl own their catch also they osprey, from squirrels and other small mammals. With a a With mammals. small other and squirrels fish snatching for Notorious deer). and mammals preferred habitat in search of rabbits, ground ground rabbits, of search in habitat preferred marine (including carrion on dines frequently also over the hilly open grasslands that make up its its up make that grasslands open hilly the over “sea-eagle” majestic this eater, fish a Primarily ebparks.org can often be seen at close range cruising low low cruising range close at seen be often can planet. the on birds recognized widely most the 1-888-EBPARKS or 1-888-327-2757 1-888-327-2757 or 1-888-EBPARKS (TRS 711) (TRS golden eagles anywhere in the world. This eagle eagle This world. the in anywhere eagles golden of one probably is plumage adult in eagle bald 2950 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland, CA 94605 CA Oakland, Court, Oaks Peralta 2950 Regional Park District Park Regional The East Bay has the highest density of nesting nesting of density highest the has Bay East The the tail, and head white striking a with Huge, Length: Length: Wi Wi ng Span: ng Span: ng 40” 27-35” 88” 71-89” in the East Bay Bay East the in Aquila chrysaetos Aquila leucocephalus Haliaeetus Golden Eagle Golden Eagle Bald Common Raptors Common Photo: Davor Desancic Davor Photo: Peregrine Falcon Look – a hawk! Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper’s Hawk From a child just beginning to discover the minimize the risk to Accipiter striatus Accipiter cooperii wonders of nature to an experienced birder, raptors, as do perches Length: 9-13” Wing Span: 20-26” Length: 14-20” Wing Span: 28-34” the sight of one of these large birds is a thrill placed above high voltage The short, rounded wings, slender bodies, and for many visitors to the parks. The electrical towers. Photographers long tails of the Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s protected open spaces of the East and rock-climbers can take care to Red-tailed Hawk Hawks allow them to fly swiftly through dense Bay Regional Park District avoid disturbing nesting pairs, and Buteo jamaicensis forests in pursuit of their preferred prey: small provide important habitat all of us can advocate for clean Length: 18-25” Wing Span: 46-58” birds. Both species sometimes snatch unwary for a wide variety of birds of water, clean air, and conservation That hawk you see every morning at the freeway songbirds from suburban backyard bird feeders. prey, including eagles, hawks, owls, of open spaces. Learning about the on-ramp? Probably a red-tailed hawk. Common and Subtle differences in head and tail shape, and falcons, collectively known as raptors. birds of prey in your parks and sharing widespread, this large hawk often perches on utility along with size, help birdwatchers distinguish your enthusiasm with others is important too, as From the Latin “rapere”, meaning “to seize”, and fence poles where its distinctive brown belly- between the two species. The Cooper’s developing an appreciation for wild things leads to raptors are predatory birds with specialized band stands out beneath its white bib. This helps Hawk (see photo) is larger, has a rounded concern for their protection. features that allow them to catch and eat other to identify even the immature red-tailed, which has tail, and its large, blocky head projects forward animals, sometimes in mid-air! These include: The following descriptions will get you started a brown and white banded tail during its first year, of the wings in flight. The smaller, dove-sized • Strong feet with claws called talons for in identifying our most common raptors. Field rather than the distinctive rusty-red tail of the adult. “Sharpie” appears delicate, with twig-like legs, a grasping and piercing. guides, phone apps (see “Additional Resources”), The majestic scream of this hawk is also distinctive, squared-edged tail, and a small head that is in line and guided walks offered by East Bay Regional Park although many jays can produce an imitation call with the wings when seen from below. Both the • Heavy, hooked bills for tearing and cutting District naturalists and local Audubon chapters are which can fool even an experienced hawk watcher. Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawk are listed by through flesh. excellent ways to expand your knowledge. Red-tails prey on small mammals, as well as birds, the state as “species of special concern.” • Exceptional vision for locating prey from high Following the common names in bold print are the reptiles, and amphibians, and prefer to hunt in open in the air. Latin, or scientific, names of the birds in italics. habitat with plentiful perches. Sharp-shinned Hawk Coopers Hawk Raptors are also masters of flight, with powerful Measurements of body length from bill tip to tail - Smaller head - Larger protruding head wings that allow them to migrate long distances, tip and wing span are listed as a range, since most - Squared tail - Rounded tail as well as to soar, dive, glide, and hover in pursuit female raptors are considerably larger than their of their meals.