Idaho Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey Characteristics Three common characteristics: 1) Strong hooked beak 2) Powerful feet (talons) 3) Keen eyesight

Hooked Beak They have a beak for tearing and ripping flesh, organs, tissues and bones.

Powerful Talons Used to grip and to kill. If you were grabbed by a talon the grip strength would be enough that you would have to kill the bird to get it to release.

Keen Eyesight Eyesight is 8 to 12 times more powerful than our own! Most raptors hunt by sight not by smell.

Sexes Male and females look very much alike, however most raptors exhibit reverse sexual dimorphism. This means that the females are bigger than the male. Males however have brighter plumage than most females.

Nesting Raptors return each year to the same area where they hatched (tenacity). Most species lay two eggs and mate for life. Chicks are as large as adults at 10 weeks.

State Raptor!

Peregrine Falcon Peregrine falcons eat other birds such as songbirds and ducks, as well as bats. They catch their prey in mid-air. This bird is one of the most widely distributed species in the world.

Physical Characteristics Length: inches (wingspan of 3.5 feet). Weight: About 2 lbs.; females are slightly larger than males. Lifespan: 7-15 years; some can live as long as 20 years.

Idaho’s nocturnal raptors Barn Owl, Flammulated Owl, Western Screech Owl, Snowy Owl, Northern hawk- owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, Burrowing Owl, Barred Owl, Great Gray Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Boreal Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl. Nocturnal raptors hunt at night.

Barn Owl

Physical Description Description: The Upperparts are light grey with numerous fine dark lines and scattered pale spots on the feathers. There are buff markings on wings and on the back. The underparts are white with a few black spots, occasionally none. Feathering on the lower legs may be sparse. The heart-shaped facial disc is white with a brownish edge, with brown marks at the front of the eyes, which have a black iris. Its beak is off-white and the feet are yellowish-white to brownish. Males and females are similar in size and colour, females and juveniles are generally more densely spotted.

Size and Habit Size: Female: Length 34-40cm ( ") Wingspan 110cm (43") Weight 570g (20oz) Male: Length 32-38cm ( ") Wingspan 107cm (42") Weight 470g (15.5oz). Habits: Generally nocturnal, although it is not uncommon to see this species emerge at dusk or be active at dawn, occasionally being seen in flight during full daylight. Flight is noiseless, with wingbeats interrupted by gliding.

Hunting and feeding Hunting & Food: Barn Owls specialize in hunting small ground mammals, and the vast majority of their food consists of small rodents. Voles (field mice) are an important food item, as well as pocket gophers, shrews, mice and rats. Barn Owls breed rapidly in response to mouse plagues. Other prey may include baby rabbits, bats, frogs, lizards, birds and insects. Prey are usually located by quartering up and down likely looking land - particularly open grassland. They also use low perches such as fence posts to seek quarry.

Barn Owl distribution

Great Horned Owl

Physical descriptions Description: Great Horned Owls can vary in colour from a reddish brown to a grey or black and white. The underside is a light grey with dark bars and a white band of feathers on the upper breast. They have large, staring yellow-orange eyes, bordered in most races by an orange-buff facial disc. The name is derived from tufts of feathers that appear to be "horns" which are sometimes referred to as "ear tufts" but have nothing to do with hearing at all. The large feet are feathered to the ends of the toes, and the immature birds resemble the adults. Females are 10 to 20% larger than males.

Size and habits Size: Length cm (18-25") Wingspan cm (36-60") Weight g ( oz) Habits: Activity generally begins at dusk, but in some regions, may be seen in late afternoon or early morning. Both sexes may be very aggressive towards intruders when nesting.

Hunting and feeding Hunting & Food: Great Horned Owls hunt by perching on snags and poles and watching for prey, or by gliding slowly above the ground. From high perches they dive down to the ground with wings folded, before snatching prey. Prey are usually killed instantly when grasped by its large talons. A Great Horned Owl may take prey 2 to 3 times heavier than itself. They also hunt by walking on the ground to capture small prey or wading into water to snatch frogs and fish. They have been known to walk into chicken coops to take domestic fowl. Rodents and small rabbits can be swallowed whole while larger prey are carried off and ripped apart at feeding perches or at the nest. Birds are often plucked first, and legs and wing tips discarded. An extremely wide range of prey species (at least 253 identified) are captured, but rabbits and hares are its preferred prey. Mammalian prey includes all coexisting rodents, squirrels, mink, skunks, raccoons, armadillos, porcupines, domestic cats and dogs, shrews, moles, muskrats, and bats. Bird prey includes all other Owls (except Snowy Owl), grouse, woodpeckers, crows, turkeys, pigeons, Red-tailed Hawks, bitterns, Great Blue Heron, ducks, swans, gulls, etc. Reptiles include snakes, turtles, lizards, and young alligators. Amphibians include frogs, toads, and salamanders. Other foods include fish, large insects, scorpions, centipedes, crayfish, worms, spiders, and road killed animals.

Prairie Falcon

Physical Characteristics General description: Like other falcons, the prairie falcon can be distinguished from hawks in flight by its pointed wings. You can tell it from other falcons when it's in the air.by the dark markings where its wings join its body on the underside. Size: Adult prairie falcons are about 17 to 20 inches long, with a wingspan of 3 1/2 feet.

Feeding Prairie falcons eat other birds. They chase them in the air, then capture them on the ground. They also eat small mammals and the young eat insects. They tend to develop a liking for one kind of food and then eat that until the supply is depleted. In Idaho they mainly eat Townsend’s Ground Squirrel.

Size Size: Adult prairie falcons are about 17 to 20 inches long, with a wingspan of 3 1/2 feet. Color: The prairie falcon is light brown above and pale below. It has a dark "mustache" and dark areas beneath its wings.

Reproduction Prairie falcons usually begin breeding at two years of age. In late winter or early spring the female lays three to six eggs on a cliff or in an abandoned nest. The eggs hatch after about a month. The young are able to fly after 40 days. Life is tough for a baby prairie falcon. Scientists estimate that 75 percent of the young die before they have a chance to mature. Adults may live to be 20 years old, but the average lifespan is less than three years.

Western Screech-owl

Physical Descriptions Description: The Western Screech Owl is a small, nocturnal, woodland Owl of western North America and is one of the west's more common Owls at lower elevations. They are squat-looking Owls that sit erect, with their plumage fluffed out, with the feet and legs obscured, and distinct ear tufts raised. The iris is bright yellow and the bill is gray to black, with tufts of bristly feathers around its base. The facial disk is bordered by black. The toes are yellow. Plumage is either mainly grayish or reddish-brown variegated dark and light, resembling a furrowed tree bark pattern. They use the variegated plumage as camouflage. When threatened, the bird stretches its body and tightens its feathers in order to look like a branch stub to avoid detection, but will take flight when it knows it has been detected. They have noticeable light spotting along the edge of the scapulars. There is much individual variation within the two colour morphs. In the gray-phase, birds in the dry southwest are a paler gray, while birds in the humid northwest are darker and browner. The red-phase is very rare and found only in the Pacific Northwest.

Size and Habits Size: Female average Length: 23cm (9.2") Wingspan 56cm (22") Male average Length: 21cm (8.2") Wingspan 54cm (21") Weights of different subspecies vary widely. In general, weights decrease from north to south, from an average of 186g (6.5oz) for females and 152g (5.3oz) for males in a northern population to 123g (4.3oz) for females and 111g (3.9oz) for males in a southern population. Habits: Nocturnal, with activity generally beginning minutes after sunset. Flight is noiseless with soft wingbeats and gliding. Will become motionless if disturbed at roost, and can sometimes be caught by hand in this state. This owl is very aggressive when defending a nest site, and may attack humans.

Hunting and Food Hunting & Food: Hunts mainly from a perch in open woodlands, along the edges of open fields or wetlands, or makes short forays into open fields. They also capture flying insects on the wing. Small prey is usually swallowed whole on the spot, while larger prey is carried in the bill to a perch and then torn apart. An extremely wide range of prey species is captured. The most favored prey are small microtine rodents and deer mice, larger insects, or small birds depending on abundance. Prey species include shrews, orthopterons, insects (including beetles, larval moths & butterflies), birds, pocket gophers, voles, salamanders, kangaroo rats, wood rats, pocket mice, bats, grasshopper mice, gophers, frogs, locusts, and scorpions, crayfish, worms, snails, small fish, poultry, and barnyard ducks. Pellets are medium-sized, averaging about 3.8 by 1.9 centimeters (1.5 by 0.75 inches). They are compact, dark gray, ovals composed of fur, feathers, bones, teeth, and chitin. Two to four pellets are cast each day.

Golden Eagle

Physical Characteristics Length: 32 inches Wingspan: 78 inches Very large, broad-winged, broad-tailed hawk Sexes similar Short, dark, hooked beak with yellow cere Adult: Golden feathering on nape Plumage almost entirely dark brown, without white in under wing coverts Two pale brown median tail bands Golden band on upper wing coverts

Hunting and Territory Territory - The golden eagle is a solitary bird, which can be found in remote areas. They do not congregate in large numbers during the winter. Being a great hunter, the golden eagle seldom eats carrion. Its hunting territory extends up to 162 square miles (260 square km).Diet - Groundhogs, marmots, foxes, skunks, cats, rabbits, grouse, ground squirrels, crows, pheasants, meadowlarks, tortoises, and snakes.

Red tail Hawk

Physical Description Widespread American member of the genus Buteo, which also includes the Red- shouldered, Swainson's, and Gray hawks, among others. Like other hawks of this group, it soars over open country in search of its prey but just as often perches in a tree at the edge of a meadow, watching for the slightest movement in the grass below. The Red-tail rarely takes poultry, feeding mainly on small rodents.

Merlin

PIGEON HAWK The merlin is a bold hunter, and frequently takes species larger than itself. It does, on occasions take small mammals, snakes, lizards and insects, but its preferred prey by far is birds - pipits, larks, finches, chats, wheatears, starlings etc., and some waders - snipe, redwing, lapwing and golden plover. Unlike the hobby and peregrine, it rarely stoops from above, rather chases its prey down in a twisting, erratic flight before rising above it and striking it down with its talons.hobbyperegrine

Osprey

Physical Characteristics Large raptor. White breast and belly. Black back and wings. Long wings, held with wingtips angled slightly backwards. Dark eye stripe. Crown and forehead white. Size: cm (21-23 in) Wingspan: cm (59-71 in) Weight: g ( ounces)

Fish Specialist The Osprey is a fish-eating specialist, with live fish accounting for about 99% of its diet. Barbed pads on the soles of its feet help it grip slippery fish. When an Osprey takes a large fish to its nest, it carries the fish headfirst to make it as aerodynamic as possible. Ito?feature=player_embeddedhttp:// Ito?feature=player_embedded

American Kestrel

Physical Description Smallest falcon in North America. Rufous back and tail. Two dark mustache marks on face. Size: cm (9-12 in) Wingspan: cm (20-24 in) Weight: g ( ounces)

Behavior The American Kestrel is the only North American falcon to habitually hover with rapid wing beats, keeping its head motionless while scanning the ground for prey. The kestrel commonly perches along fences and power lines. In summer, kestrels feed largely on grasshoppers, dragonflies, lizards, mice, and voles. They will also eat other small birds. grasshoppersdragonflieslizardsmice voles

Bald Eagle

Physical Characteristics One of the largest raptor, the bald eagle has a wingspread of about 7 feet. Adults have a dark brown body and wings, white head and tail, and a yellow beak. Juveniles are mostly brown with white mottling on the body, tail, and undersides of wings. Adult plumage usually is obtained by the 6th year. In flight, the bald eagle often soars or glides with the wings held at a right angle to the body.

Harrier Hawk

Physical Description Medium-sized hawk. Long tail. Long, slender, rounded wings. White rump. Flies low, with wings held up in slight "V." Size: cm (18-20 in) Wingspan: cm (40-46 in) Weight: g ( ounces)

Hunting Habits Unlike other hawks, the Northern Harrier relies on its hearing as well as its vision to capture prey. The feathers of the face are stiff to help transmit sound, and it shows a pronounced "facial disk," much like that of an owl. The Northern Harrier feeds primarily on mice, other small mammals, and small birds. It will, however, take larger prey, such as rabbits and ducks. It has been known to subdue large prey by drowning it.

Turkey Vulture

Physical Description Large soaring bird. Long wings and tail. Body feathers entirely blackish-brown. Red head mostly unfeathered. Size: cm (25-32 in) Wingspan: cm (67-70 in) Weight: 2000 g (70.6 ounces)

Interesting facts The Turkey Vulture uses its sense of smell to locate carrion. The part of its brain responsible for processing smells is particularly large, compared to other birds. Its heightened ability to detect odors allows it to find dead animals below a forest canopy. The Turkey Vulture maintains stability and lift at low altitudes by holding its wings up in a slight dihedral (V- shape) and teetering from side to side while flying. It flies low to the ground to pick up the scent of dead animals. Like its stork relatives, the Turkey Vulture often defecates on its own legs, using the evaporation of the water in the feces to cool itself down.

Swainson’s Hawk

Physical Characteristics Length: 18 inches Wingspan: 49 inches Sexes similar. Short, dark, hooked beak. Large, broad-winged, broad-tailed hawk Very long-winged for a Buteo, with wings tapering noticeably at the tip.

Hunting techniques Swainson’s Hawks mainly hunt mice, ground squirrels, rabbits, birds, and reptiles during the breeding season, and largely live off insects like grasshoppers, locust, and beetles during the non- breeding season. Swainson’s Hawks usually hunt by swooping down from a perch or while walking along the ground, and may hunt in teams.

Cooper’s Hawk

Physical Description Size: cm (15-20 in) Wingspan: cm (24-35 in) Weight: g ( ounces) Medium-sized hawk. Tail long, rounded, and barred. Wings short and rounded. Back dark gray or gray-brown. Underparts barred reddish and white. Dark crown contrasts with nape. Legs yellow. Eyes orange or red. Tail ends in white tail band.

Feeding technique A Cooper's Hawk captures a bird with its feet, and will squeeze it repeatedly to kill it. It does not bite the prey to kill it in the fashion of falcons, but holds it away from its body until it dies. It has been known to drown its prey, holding a bird under water until it stops moving

Sharp shinned Hawk

Physical Description Small hawk. Tail long, barred, and ends with a square tip. Wings short and rounded. Adults with blue-gray back and wings, reddish barring on underparts. Size: cm (9-13 in) Wingspan: cm (17-22 in) Weight: g ( ounces)