When we first came out
on the mission we would often see these large black birds circling above us in
the sky. Initially I wondered what they were, then one day we saw them gathered
around some roadkill and I figured out they were Turkey Vultures, also know as Turkey Buzzards. Then over the winter we saw lots of hawks but no turkey
buzzards. During the winter, when we would drive to a neighboring town, we would
see a hawk sitting on, it seems, like every third or forth telephone pole or fence post.
Now that it is getting warmer, the buzzards are back, so I figured they must
have migrated for the winter.
 |
| Turkey buzzard in flight |
The turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), also known in
some North American regions as the turkey
buzzard (or just buzzard),
and in some areas of the Caribbean as the John
crow or carrion crow,[2] is a vulture that is the most widespread of the New World
vultures.[3] The turkey vulture ranges from southern
Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. It inhabits a
variety of open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands,
pastures, and deserts.[1]
The turkey vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion.[4] It finds its food using its keen eyes and
sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gases produced by the
beginnings of the process of decay in dead animals.[4] In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its
wings infrequently. It roosts in large community groups. Lacking a syrinx—the
vocal organ of birds—its only vocalizations are grunts or low hisses.[5] It nests in caves, hollow trees, or
thickets. Each year it generally raises two chicks, which it feeds by regurgitation.[6] It has very few natural predators.[7] In the United States, the vulture receives
legal protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.[8]
My quick and dirty research suggests the hawks we see are mostly
the Red-Tailed Hawk and the Ferruginous Hawk.
 |
| Red tailed Hawk |
 |
| Red tailed Hawk in flight |
- The
red-tailed hawk is a very diverse hawk that comes in a wide range of sizes
and plumages. They are also adapted to many different types of habitats.
Their plumage coloration can range from very light to very dark, with more
variation in the western half of their range. The chestnut red tail can
distinguish most mature birds. Tail feathers of the Harlan’s race have a
marbled pattern of gray, brown and white.
- Distribution: It is the most
widely distributed Buteo hawk in North America and is found from Alaska
throughout most of Canada and the United States, south into Mexico and
parts of Central America. In Kansas, it is found year round and is
commonly seen perched on fence posts, utility poles and billboards along
roadways. It is the most frequently encountered nesting raptor in the
state.
- Food: Red-tailed hawks
often hunt from a perch but sometimes hunt while soaring. They search for
a variety of prey including invertebrates, reptiles, birds, rodents,
squirrels, rabbits and hares.
- The
ferruginous hawk is the largest Buteo hawk in Kansas. When seen in flight
the rust-colored feathers of the legs show up well against the
light-colored abdomen and light, unbarred tail. When the wings are in the
downstroke a white patch can be seen. Up to 10 percent of the population
may be a dark morph, making identification challenging, but the white
patch in the wings should still be evident.
- Distribution: They are found in
grassland habitats throughout the Great Plains and western United States.
In Kansas, they are most often seen in the western part of the state. The
majority of Kansas’ nesting birds is found in the chalk formation along
the Smoky Hill River.
- Food: This large hawk’s
primary food source is small mammals with a preference for prairie dogs,
ground squirrels, gophers and jackrabbits. Occasionally snakes, birds and
large insects will also be eaten. Their hunting techniques include high
soaring, hovering, low quartering over fields, or even sitting near a
burrow waiting for an opportunity to strike.
