OCTOBER 2009
Neighbors NEWSPAPER
PAGE 45
By Richard Cronberg
ers are aware that many raptors mi-
I always enjoy asking folks, “What
grate south from September through
is your favorite bird?” The answer is
December. And since all raptors soar
almost always the same, eagles and
they have to depend on updrafts or
hawks. Raptors, all hawks, eagles
thermals to move. Warm days along
and others have captured the admi-
mountain ridges produce the thermals
ration and fascination of people since
that are “raptor highways”. These
ancient times. I think the reason is that
birds search for an updraft, use it to
man has always admired any animal
soar as high as they can, then glide
that is at the top of the food chain.
out and downward until they find an-
And, raptors are certainly at the top.
other thermal. This procedure is re-
peated over and over again until the
Birder’s Quiz: You are birding along
bird reaches its destination.
the foothills when you spot a raptor
Any ridge that runs north and
in a tree. It is the about the size
south can be good for hawk watch-
of a Red-tailed Hawk but it looks
ing but some are better than others.
different. It has a reddish breast
Cape May, New Jersey, Hawk Moun-
with tan horizontal stripes and dark
tain, Pennsylvania, and Point Pelee,
brown wings sprinkled with white
Ontario are famous sites but other
spots. What is it?
great areas have been discovered

throughout the country. on your sunscreen and get those bin-
Specifically raptors are ospreys,
Check with your local Audubon oculars ready. Raptors usually don’t
Red-tailed Hawks usually don’t. So,
kites, harriers, eagles, accipiters, bu-
Society for information on where a start moving until mid-morning. So,
if you see a good-sized hawk sitting
teos, caracaras, and falcons. And yes,
good site is close to you. As far as have your lunch ready and field guide
on a wire chances are it’s a Red-
all these have been seen in Southern
birding goes, this is one of the most handy and enjoy!
shouldered Hawk.
California. Everyone seems to no-
enjoyable ways to spend a fall day.
tice hawks since they are so visible.
Find a good spot with an unobstruct- Birder’s Tip: Red-shouldered Hawks
Birder’s Quiz Answer: You have spot-
But they are not as common as one
ed view, set up your lawn chair, put often sit on telephone wires while
ted a Red-shouldered Hawk.
would think. It’s just that many are
seen since they usually soar in the
open sky or sit in conspicuous places.
For instance, one authority states that
there may be a thousand European
Starlings for every Red-tailed Hawk.
As it turns out Southern Califor-
nia is a “hotspot” for raptors if one
knows where to look. Records show
that 19 species of raptors have been
seen here. Don’t expect to see all of
them but many are easily visible. For
instance Red-tailed Hawks are the
most common buteo and can be seen
soaring or perched almost anywhere,
even in town. And, Red-shouldered
Hawks are fairly common in the foot-
hills and valleys and suburbs.
Some raptors such as Sharp-
shinned and Copper’s Hawks seem
nearly invisible since their method of
prey is to hide in trees or shrubs and
dash out to capture an unsuspecting
bird. Others such as American Kes-
trels, our smallest falcon are very vis-
ible sitting on fences and telephone
wires waiting to pounce on a juicy
grasshopper or mouse.
This time of year is special to bird
watchers the nation over for this is
“hawk watching time”. Knowing bird-
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