Interesting Hawk Behavior (1 Viewer)

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ravyrn

Member

• Sep 27, 2013

• #1

This photo was taken this past Sunday afternoon. They were too high up for us to identify that afternoon, but we saw about 10 the next morning flying overhead, and they were red-tailed hawks. My question is, why are there 50+ hawks soaring around in a pack? I don't believe I've ever seen that before.

 

O

OsageArcher

Well-known member

• Sep 27, 2013

• #2

It's part of the annual hawk migration south. See
http://www.houstonaudubon.org/default.aspx?act=newsletter.aspx&category=fact sheets

Here in Memphis just several days ago I also saw 50+ so high up they almost could not be seen with the naked eye, just tiny specks, all of them lazily circling on the currents but moving slowly south.

You can also google "kettle of hawks".

 

Bird_Bill

Well-known member

• Sep 27, 2013

• #3

Hello Ravyrn, welcome to the forum. Large congregation of Red-Tailed for sure. They are known to often hunt in pairs, with a whoever grabs the fastest, gets the most, philosophy. Loose aggregations of mixed species hunting has been observed at times, including both black and turkey vultures also, in addition to various buteos. Of buteos, Harris hawks are well documented, collectively hunting. Migrations of Broad Winged hawks through and "up" (south) or "down" (north), in the Shenandoah valley is renowned.

 

R

ravyrn

Member

• Sep 27, 2013

• #4

Thank so very much for the explanation guys!

 

jmepler

It's just a flesh wound.

• Sep 27, 2013

• #5

Welcome to the forum.

Large numbers of hawk move through eastern Texas during migration. In Corpus Christi they can see tens of thousands of Broad-winged Hawks in a single day.

Here is a tally of what they have seen at the Corpus Christi Raptor Migration Project so far this fall.

Mike

 

R

ravyrn

Member

• Sep 29, 2013

• #6

jmepler, thanks for the share. Those are some pretty amazing stats! Do you know which method they use to identify and count the number of hawks. Those broad-winged hawk figures are just mindblowing!

 

Last edited: Sep 29, 2013