DOOR TO NATURE
by Charlotte Lukes
smallest of these, the sharp-shinned, is a fairly common nester in Door County. The Cooper’s has become more abundant during recent years, and the northern goshawk is now quite rare. Accipiters are known by their rounded wing tips and long tails. They often sit in a forest, watch for bird activity below, then swoop in rapidly to snatch their food. They are very adept at swerving among trees with amazing agility and speed. Accipiters, unlike the merlin, pluck the feathers of the bird they catch before eating it. Buteos are larger, heavy-bodied hawks with long, broad wings that help them soar high over open land. The red-tailed hawk is perhaps the most common in our area and nests in woodland edges. It’s easy to identify an adult by its rusty, red-brown tail. It has a four-foot wingspan and is only slightly smaller than the rough-legged hawk. During mild winters, it may not migrate south.
Winter Birds of Prey The winter avian landscape is usually much quieter than the summer breeding season. Bird activity during the winter is mainly to find enough food and seek shelter from predators. With few insects available to eat, it’s important to provide seeds and suet for both the bird visitors from the north and the yearround residents such as chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers and cardinals. Also vital is clean, fresh water every day in a heated bird bath. The autumn migration is a very gradual one compared to its spring counterpart. Young, newly fledged migratory birds linger until their food supply diminishes and the adults begin to fly south. Now
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The open countryside of fields and grasslands is the best place to see the very large rough-legged hawks. Look for their white rump patch, and watch them hover in one place as they spy some food on the ground. This species nests in the Arctic and travels south during the winter as its food supply diminishes. The first sightings in autumn are usually in October, and they can remain here into early May.
is when some new birds arrive to spend the winter here. Dark-eyed juncos are often the first to show up in September. There’s another bird group that comes through during the fall, and some overwinter here. Accipiters are fast fliers that do nest here but are also seen during migration. They are often blamed for snatching smaller prey such as our resident songbirds and mourning doves at the feeders. Some of these smaller hawks may remain here during the winter months. The three species in the accipiter group are the sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk and northern goshawk. The
You might see rough-legged hawks perched atop power poles or on trees along open fields and marshland. They prey on small- to medium-sized mammals such as mice and meadow voles. During winters of deep snow cover, they may travel farther south, where the ground is bare and hunting is easier. Another open-country hawk that has a white rump patch is the northern harrier. It flies at a much lower level than the rough-legged hawk and can swoop quickly when it spies a mouse or vole. It has a longer and narrower tail. The adult male is gray above, and the female has brown feathers on the back and tail. During mild winters with light snow cover, it may not even migrate. The harrier is about 17 inches long, compared to the 20-inch rough-legged
