Hawks

Raptors! Some birders love them and come alive only during raptor migration. Backyard birders might not love them, because of the threat they present to the smaller visitors that frequent their feeders. And some birders are just confused by them because of the challenges in identification.

I’ve always been closest to the third group. My guiding principle was “If it’s a big, hungry-looking bird sitting in a tree or soaring overhead, it’s probably a red-tailed hawk.” Three years ago I decided to do something about my ignorance, and I started to regularly visit a local raptor migration spot. I asked lots of questions, I listened a lot, I studied the materials provided, and I tried to learn to distinguish the various raptors that flew past. I still don’t consider myself a raptor expert, but I’m a lot better than I used to be.

The hawk watch I visit counts migrating vultures, osprey, eagles, hawks, and falcons. The hawk species that could be seen during migration in the eastern U.S. include the northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper’s hawk, American goshawk (rare), red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk, broad-winged hawk, and rough-legged hawk (rare).

The Bible acknowledges this element of diversity, stating that there are different kinds of hawks. “And the ostrich and the owl and the sea gull and the hawk in its kind” (Leviticus 11:16). “And the ostrich, the owl, the sea gull, and the hawk in their kinds” (Deuteronomy 14:15). These birds are listed among the unclean species in the Jewish dietary laws.

The Bible has four references to hawks, utilizing two different Hebrew words. For neither word are translators 100% sure that hawk is the precise translation, but both are confidently birds of prey. The more common Hebrew word (used in the two verses above and in Job below) could be a hawk, falcon, or even an extinct bird of prey. The other word (in Isaiah below) could be a hawk or kite.

“The tree snake will make its nest and lay eggs there, and it will hatch and gather them under its protection. Yes, the hawks will be gathered there, every one with its kind” (Isaiah 34:15). This passage refers to a desolate and burned-out land where most birds and creatures will not live. There are only a few creatures that tolerate and can survive in that harsh environment, and hawks are one such group. Again, the Bible refers to multiple kinds of hawks, as well as to their tendency to gather with others of their own kind.

The final verse refers to how the hawk flies – both its soaring in the sky and its seasonal migration. “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, stretching his wings toward the south?” (Job 39:26).

I have learned some interesting things about the soaring of hawks. When hawks reach their soaring height, they rarely flap. They can glide, soar, and circle for a long time. The sharp-shinned hawk gives itself away by its flapping pattern – flap, flap, flap, glide – flap, flap, flap, glide. It is also more unstable and tossed about in its flight compared to the other accipiter, the Cooper’s hawk. Red-tailed hawks do something called kiting; they suddenly stop their forward progress and hover in place, high up in the sky.

During migration, the broad-winged hawks typically travel in groups. (The other hawk species travel through as individuals.) A group is called a kettle, and when the hawks lift off the for the day, or when they start to lose altitude, they form a kettle. In a kettle, the hawks circle round and round, gradually higher, seeking a thermal to give them altitude. When they finally get the right conditions, they will stream out of the kettle one by one. It’s amazing to see a kettle of one hundred or so hawks! Of course, some kettles are very small. When only two or three hawks are traveling together, we jokingly call it a teacup.

Hawks are among the species that have been tagged regularly, and this has allowed naturalists to study migration patterns and even track individual birds. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary provides data and interactive maps on migrating raptors. (Broad-winged Hawk Tracking Maps | Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: Learn Visit Join) These hawks go to the Great Lakes area for the summer, or to eastern Canada. During migration they follow the Appalachian ridge or the Mississippi River, then down through Mexico. Most of them end up for the winter in Central America or Columbia, and a few travel further south, just below the Amazon basin. For each bird, the starting point, travel path, and ending point are consistent year after year.

Typical season for fall migration is August 15 through December 15. You can visit www.hawkcount.org to locate hawkwatch sites and statistics. The site I visit is called Second Mountain. For the 2025 season, we counted 58 northern harriers, 1054 sharp-shinned hawks, 108 Cooper’s hawks, 1 American goshawk, 55 red-shouldered hawks, 4332 broad-winged hawks, and 531 red-tailed hawks.

I still don’t consider myself to be a raptor afficionado. I prefer the smaller birds. However, I have learned to appreciate the raptors more as I have learned about them and have embraced them more fully within my birding repertoire.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.