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? Harris Hawk (1 Viewer)

ColD

ColD

Save the Egyptian Vulture in Greece
Whilst stopping off on the final day of our UK trip, we decided to look into Watlington off junction 6, M40 to watch the Red Kites again.
When we had twenty of these Kites overhead flying with four Common Buzzard and a Sparrowhawk I noticed another darker bird flying high.
It stayed in the vicinity for a couple of minutes before heading northwards.

I suspect a Harris Hawk, its the only bird in any of my books that presents with such a wide black band and trailing white edge on the tail feathers.
The Greater coverts do not seem deep enough.
Has anyone else seen this bird in the vicinity ?
Cheers
ColD
 

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The rufous shoulders in addition to the tail bands and white undertail coverts looks good for Harris'.

It's a Southwestern bird in the US - Didn't know they were even a possibility in the UK (My Collins is still backordered).
 
Certainly looks like Harris's to me.

Almost certainly an escaped falconer's bird. There has been one on the Isle of Sheppey here in Kent for some time now which I see regularly.
 
Definitely Harris's Hawk. Its natural habitat is desert, from which it rarely strays, and they are supposedly popular with falconers, so I agree it is almost certainly an escape.

Jim
 
You come all the way from Greece and you see Red kites, Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk AND a Harris Hawk all at once! I haven't seen 3 of that 4 yet this year.
 
boddie said:
You come all the way from Greece and you see Red kites, Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk AND a Harris Hawk all at once! I haven't seen 3 of that 4 yet this year.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the confirmation Robin, Jim and Robert it was a fantastic sight to see , there was no sign of rings or anyhting to show as a captive bird , I expect the lucky thing got away from its owner before he managed to gat anything on it ....fly free birdeee..enjoy
We also got the White Crowned Sparrow at Cley.aint birding grand ;) If you want to see Red Kite go to Watlington sit in the carpark to the rear of the Kingfisher fish n chip shop in the town centre you will not be dissapointed with the number and views of Kites. Whilst there try the fantastic fish and chips at Kingfishers a great freshly cooked large Haddock and Chips for £4.40 enough for two people eat em whilst watching the Kites.....
Cheers
ColD http://www.cretewww.com
 
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The bird in the photo is unquestionably a Harris Hawk.
As stated in other posts the Harris Hawk is widely bred and used as a falconry bird.
They hunt cooperatively in the wild and that aspect of their nature makes them ideally suited to falconry.
Harris Hawks have been popular with falconers in the U.K.
 
robinm said:
I would say no - I have not got Harris's Hawk on my UK List despite seeing one regularly.
Click to expand...

I have not got one on my list either but I'd still twitch it and any other if I wanted to see it. I was born and bred on Sheppey and still visit but not seen the Harris Hawk or the Rough Legged Buzzards,
 
It was nice anyway to see one flying free, I have only seen a perched captive of this bird before, unforunately tethered in someones front garden in Northamptonshire some years ago.
Up there with the Red Kites in Oxfordshire it looked great.
Ive ticked it anyway
ColD

http://www.cretewww.com
 
It's obviously a falconry bird but I'ts must have been out for a while. There is no equipment on its legs and they can last a long time.

Gary.
 
I live in Harris Hawk central. They have adapted well to urban development. They appear to nest in tall rooftops sometimes. Harris Hawks feed on dove and quail that I've seen, and apparently on small rodents and reptiles as well. I would describe them as being pretty opportunistic feeders.

One of the things about Tucson is that we still have small patches of unimproved land within the city, as well as a system of arroyos (usually dry gulleys), where desert wildlife can still survive.

I've observed the cooperative hunting that has been mentioned, basically, two Harris Hawks "harrowing" a Gambel's quail. They took turns swooping on the prey, then perching nearby and waiting for the quail to move. Eventually, they tire their prey out and finish it off.

Family groups of Harris hawks live together, hunt together, and presumably share prey. They sometimes hang out in groups of four or five, adults and juveniles working together.

The question of whether the Harris Hawks could survive and breed in the wild in the UK is interesting. They would need a year-round supply of prey -- rodents and small birds. I;m not sure what their tolerance for temperature is, but here in southern Arizona, they live yearround, and winters can get down to the 30s F., but usually warm up to the 50s during the day at the coldest.

The other requirement, and the most important of course, would be finding a mate. :)
 
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Lost Harris Hawks biggest problem is getting wet in winter they have very poor water proofing's can lead to them getting frostbite so bad they can lose toes or wing-tips
 
trashbird said:
I live in Harris Hawk central. They have adapted well to urban development. They appear to nest in tall rooftops sometimes. Harris Hawks feed on dove and quail that I've seen, and apparently on small rodents and reptiles as well. I would describe them as being pretty opportunistic feeders.

One of the things about Tucson is that we still have small patches of unimproved land within the city, as well as a system of arroyos (usually dry gulleys), where desert wildlife can still survive.

I've observed the cooperative hunting that has been mentioned, basically, two Harris Hawks "harrowing" a Gambel's quail. They took turns swooping on the prey, then perching nearby and waiting for the quail to move. Eventually, they tire their prey out and finish it off.

Family groups of Harris hawks live together, hunt together, and presumably share prey. They sometimes hang out in groups of four or five, adults and juveniles working together.

The question of whether the Harris Hawks could survive and breed in the wild in the UK is interesting. They would need a year-round supply of prey -- rodents and small birds. I;m not sure what their tolerance for temperature is, but here in southern Arizona, they live yearround, and winters can get down to the 30s F., but usually warm up to the 50s during the day at the coldest.

The other requirement, and the most important of course, would be finding a mate. :)
Click to expand...

I live on the Canadian border of the U.S. and know many people on both sides of the border who must contend with housing Harris Hawks during our cold winters.
Rule of thumb I've heard is to be sure and provide heat if nighttime temperatures are below 20 deg. F.
Females are better able to tolerate cold than their male counterparts.
On cold cloudy days with temps below 20 F. the birds will tuck one foot and rouse their feathers .
Damp cold seems to bother this species, probably due to its desert origins.
 
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