Nature Nut: Red-tailed hawks in decline

According to the Status of Canada’s Birds, the number of red-tailed hawks is in decline in parts of Canada. This surprised me because I read elsewhere that red-tailed hawks are so abundant that it is the one hawk you are most likely to see. Even in the late fall we often see the dark coloured Harlan’s Hawk variant as it moves down from its breeding territory in the far north on its way to its wintering grounds on the southern plains of the U.S. The most distinctive feature of mature red-tail hawks is their red tails that are easily seen as they soar above you. The plumage of this hawk species is however highly variable with light, intermediate, and dark colour forms. Immature or juvenile hawks may have pale to light pinkish tails. Mature birds nesting here also show a typical white, or pale, chest with a speckled brown band across their mid to upper chests. This is easily seen when they are perched. The Harlan’s variant is very dark all over its body with pale gray tails.

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