Finding Florida Diurnal Raptors in the Spring

Regulating Populations of Small Birds, Rodents, Fish, and Reptiles

Feb 22, 2009

Whereas some hawks and falcons can be found along many roadways and waterways in Florida, several raptors are found only in specific habitats.

Diurnal (day-flying) raptors all have hooked bills, prominent eyebrow ridges, enhanced vision, and strong, raptorial talons. Populations of the more than a dozen resident species of raptors of Florida fluctuate with season as individuals migrate into, out of, and through the state. Additionally, several species visit Florida only during their migratons to and from North and South America during which time their numbers may exceed those of other species. Since the spring is the time of northward migration, population sizes exhibit almost day to day changes from February through March.

Florida has members of every group of raptors: eagles, buteos and accipiters (hawks), harriers and kites, falcons and caracara, and the osprey. Not all US species are found in or migrate through Florida, but each group is represented there. Each species and group has its own preferred habitat and method of hunting. Since vultures do not hunt live prey and often exhibit behaviors more similar to storks than to raptors, they are treated in a separate article.

Red-tailed and broad-winged hawks feeding on small mammals, osprey feeding on fish, the snail kite feeding on aquatic snails, and eagles feeding on medium sized birds, fish, and carrion prefer more open habitats with perches from which to study the landscape. The red-shouldered hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, and cooper's hawk eat insects and birds and often patrol both high and low woodlands where they often must twist and turn through narrow gaps in the vegetation in pursuit of their fleet winged prey. Perigrine falcons, merlins, kestrels, and the caracara frequent open praries and lightly wooded savannahs where they can chase down their prey in the open without the danger of crashing into branches or rapidly fleeing prey who also have to evade branches.

Some of the raptors are locally concentrated or easily found near their nests. Others have wider distributions and may be found in patches with greater densities with few or no local aggregations.

Red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) are sparsely distributed across southwestern Florida, with few noted concentrations. Broad-winged hawks (Buteo platypterus) winter in low densities in the southern tip of the Florida mainland. Both species may be seen patrolling praries or perched on exposed branches or the tops of trees along forested edges of the praries or roads. Large numbers of broad-winged hawks begin their northward migration through Florida in late February and continue through most of March. Red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus) patrol inside forested areas as well along their edges. They begin nesting during the month of February throughout Florida.

The sharp-shinned (Accipiter striatus) and Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii) prefer to hunt in and near wooded areas where the sharp-shinned often explodes out of trees in pursuit of smaller birds. Cooper's hawks are a bit less reckless in their pursuit, but both may wait in ambush for their prey.

The osprey or “fish hawk” (Pandion haliaetus) is widely distributed through SW Florida, with local concentrations near larger bodies of water. They feed in freshwater and estuarine habitats and their six-foot diameter nests are easy to locate perched on nesting platforms, trees, and utility pylons. Although not in the area covered by this guide, the greatest concentration of osprey nests is along Interstate 4 between Lakeland and Orlando, Florida where tall branched aluminum pylons are spaced about 1 km apart and almost every pylon for 30 km contains an osprey nest with an incubating pair during February. Another utility line along state road 17 from Charlotte Harbor to Arcadia also has a high concentration of osprey nests. They can also be seen in most state and local parks.

American kestrels (Falco sparverius) perch on utility wires and light poles along roadsides throughout SW Florida watching for rodents and large insects. They can be found in towns and cities almost as often as in rural areas. Merlins (Falco columbarius) and perigrines (Falco peregrinus) are rare across SW Florida, but are often spotted because of the actions of local birds: when entire flocks of ducks, ibis, and herons lift off for no apparent reason or flying European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), or pigeons (Columba livia) cluster tightly, an observer often finds a nearby merlin or peregrine falcon on the prowl. There are resident populations that remain in Florida all year, but the density of all falcons increases dramatically after the fall migration until early spring when these raptors begin to migrate back north.

The northern harrier (Circus cyaneus) is a winter resident that may be found flying low over almost any prairie in the area.

The kite most often found in Florida is the Everglades or snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis). It is a dark bird found locally in the Everglades – either perched in a palm or cypress hammock or patrolling in the sky. There are few areas where this bird can reliably be seen.

The crested caracara (Caracara cheriway) is the sole eastern member of this southwestern genus is a rare infrequently seen permanent resident of praries and extensive drier grasslands. It can be found in the drier, northern portions of the Everglades around Lake Okeechobee – often perched or on the ground.

This easily identified permanent resident exhibits little change in numbers as a result of migration. Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) remain close to their nesting area all year and the best way to find them is to inquire where these nests are located. Among others, there are nests near Interstate 75 in Fort Myers, on Marco Island, and near Arcadia on state road 17.

The copyright of the article Finding Florida Diurnal Raptors in the Spring in Bird Watching is owned by Albert Burchsted. Permission to republish Finding Florida Diurnal Raptors in the Spring in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Mar 12, 2009 7:31 AM

Guest :

that animal is verry well and verry beautiful

Mar 12, 2009 7:30 PM

Deborah Aldridge :

We have a red-shouldered hawk in our neighborhood. He's so beautiful and graceful. The small birds were chasing him today. I was surprised! They came at him from behind and chased him off.

Mar 12, 2009 8:43 PM

Albert Burchsted :

Birds such as grackles, red-winged blackbirds, mockingbirds, and blue jays often chase crows and birds of prey away from their territories. It is amazing to watch a bird 1/20th the size of a red-tailed hawk coming from behind and dive bombing this dangerous predator. But they are rarely attacked by the hawks and the smaller birds often drive the hawks from their territories.

Jun 9, 2009 10:50 AM

Guest :

I live in a condo on the ocean. Today I saw a bird for the first time and cannot find a pictue of it on line. It was black, with an enormous wing span, smallish head, white beak and a very long and thin tail. Anyone know what it is??

Jun 9, 2009 11:37 AM

Albert Burchsted :

This black bird sounds like a magnificent frigatebird: It is a member of the pelican family. A fantastic flyer, it is a parasite on other birds - stealing their fish and babies. Watch to see if it opens its tail into a "V" like a swallow.