Raptor Identification for Southeastern Colorado

WPHS Envirothon Preparation

​

April Estep

Wildlife Biologist

What is a Raptor?

rapere – to seize or plunder Carnivorous

keen eyesight 8 sharp talons hooked beak

General Raptor Facts

Size Difference

Eyes – 3 eyelids

Nests – located on cliffs, trees, the ground, buildings

single or multiple nests per pair

General Raptor Facts

Eggs

typically large, rounded or oblong 2-3 day lapse between eggs

incubation generally after full clutch is laid

Identifying Raptors

Silhouette

Field Marks Size

Flight Pattern Habitat

​

Call

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

IDENTIFICATION

Dark backside with white underside

White cap Dark eyeline

(superciliary line)

OSPR

HABITAT

Near open water

OSPR

NESTING

Early summer

​

Stick nest in a tree or on a platform

​

PREY

Fish

OSPR

Accipiters

Short-winged, rounded

​

Long-tailed

​

Hawks of woodland and woodland/suburban interface

Extremely agile fliers Birds are principal prey

Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)

IDENTIFICATION

Slate blue/gray body

Dark Cap White eyeline

(superciliary line)

NOGO

HABITAT

Coniferous forests with aspen stands

NOGO

NESTING

Early summer

​

Stick nest decorated with boughs in tall aspen or conifer tree

​

PREY

Birds and rodents

NOGO

IDENTIFICATION

Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)

​

Blocky head on neck

“chicken” legs Rounded tail

​

Fly with wrists straight out

SSHA and COHA

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)

​

Short Neck

​

Stick-like legs (with sharp shin)

​

Straight tail

​

Fly with wrists forward

HABITAT Woodlands

NESTING

Late spring – early summer

​

Stick nest in a tree

PREY

Small birds and small rodents

PREY

Small birds

SSHA and COHA

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)

MIKI

IDENTIFICATION

Gray body with lighter head

​

Black tail

HABITAT

Open woodlands, rangelands, and savannahs near water

MIKI

NESTING

Late spring – early summer

​

Stick nest in a tall tree

​

PREY

Insects

MIKI

Buteos

Broad-winged, rounded

Short-tailed, fan-shaped Hawks of multiple landscapes Built to soar

​

Rodents, reptiles, and insects are principal prey

Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)

IDENTIFICATION

Rusty brown above, white with rusty legs below

​

Large gape

​

Legs feathered to toes

FEHA

HABITAT

Grasslands and prairie dog colonies

FEHA

NESTING

Mid-late spring

​

Stick nest in a tree or cliff or a nest on the ground

​

PREY

Rodents (prairie dogs) and reptiles

FEHA

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

RTHA

IDENTIFICATION

Dark upperparts with white highlights

White chin Belly band

​

Red fan-shaped tail

HABITAT

Open fields near wooded areas

RTHA

NESTING

Mid-spring

​

Stick nest in a tree or cliff

​

PREY

Rodents and reptiles

RTHA

Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)

SWHA

IDENTIFICATION

Dark brown or gray

​

White chin and dark bib

HABITAT

Grasslands

SWHA

NESTING

Late spring – early summer

​

Stick nest in a medium-large tree

​

PREY

Insects, small rodents

SWHA

Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)

IDENTIFICATION

Generally dark brown

Dark band across chest White uppertail coverts Black patches at wrist Legs feathered to feet Small gape and small feet

RLHA

HABITAT

Migratory Colorado in Winter

​

NESTING

Stick nests on cliffs and in trees

​

PREY

Small rodents

RLHA

Eagles

Long-winged, broad

​

Long-tailed (twice as long as head and neck)

​

Eagles of areas with water, forests, and prairies

​

Built to soar

​

Fish and rodents are principal prey

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

BAEA

IDENTIFICATION

Dark brown body with white head and tail

​

Legs feathered to knees

HABITAT

Near water bodies

BAEA

NESTING

Late winter - early spring

​

Stick nest in a large tree

​

PREY

Fish, waterfowl, large rodents, carrion

BAEA

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

IDENTIFICATION

Dark brown body with small head

​

Golden nape

​

Legs feathered to toes

GOEA

HABITAT

Mountains, canyons, shrub-land, and grasslands

​

Prairie dog colonies

GOEA

NESTING

Early spring

​

Stick nest on cliff or large tree

​

PREY

Prairie dogs, other large rodents, young of bighorn sheep, deer, pronghorn

carrion

GOEA

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)

NOHA

IDENTIFICATION

Slim hawk with long wings and tail

White uppertail coverts Facial disk

Male: pale gray Female: dark brown

HABITAT

Riparian woodlands, open fields, and wetlands

NOHA

NESTING

Summer

Grass nest in tall grass, cattails, or beneath a bush

​

PREY

Rodents (especially voles), insects, amphibians

NOHA

Falcons

Long-winged, narrow

​

Long-tailed

Falcons of cliffs and prairies Extremely agile fliers

​

Birds and rodents are principal prey

Merlin (Falco columbarius)

IDENTIFICATION

Uniformly dark in the field

​

Light malar stripe

​

Slightly larger than kestrels

MERL

HABITAT

Migratory

Forested areas and scrublands with open areas

​

NESTING

Use stick nests of magpies and crows

​

PREY

Small to medium-sized birds, insects, rodents, lizards

MERL

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)

AMKE

IDENTIFICATION

Male: red, white, and blue

Female: rusty brown Both have distinctive facial stripes

HABITAT

Riparian woodlands, open fields, roadside ditches and croplands throughout Colorado.

AMKE

NESTING

Early-mid Summer

Tree cavities or man-made nesting boxes

​

PREY

Insects and small rodents

AMKE

Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus)

PRFA

IDENTIFICATION

Uniformly brown on back and wings with dark armpits

​

Pale head with brown moustache

HABITAT

Prairies and cliffs

PRFA

NESTING

Early Summer Scrapes on cliffs

​

PREY

Small birds and rodents

PRFA

PRFA

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

IDENTIFICATION

Blue-gray body with light chest.

Barring on tail and underside of body and Dark helmet and mustache.

PEFA

HABITAT

Cliffs, skyscrapers, and coastline

PEFA

NESTING

Early Summer

Scrapes on cliffs or skyscrapers

​

PREY

Small and medium –sized birds, rodents

PEFA

PEFA

Great-horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

GHOW

IDENTIFICATION

Heavily mottled light grey to dark brown

yellow eyes white chin

​

distinctive tufts on the top of the head

HABITAT

Riparian forests and woodlands, fields and suburban parks.

GHOW

NESTING

Early Spring

Large stick nests, tree cavities, or man-made structures

​

PREY

Rodents and birds

GHOW

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)

IDENTIFICATION

Small sized (8”)

​

brown and white flecked upper parts

​

horizontal barring on underparts white around eyes

BUOW

HABITAT

Open shortgrass prairies and pastures (prairie dog colonies)

BUOW

BUOW

NESTING

Early summer

In abandoned burrow lined with feathers, grass, and food debris

​

PREY

Insects, small rodents, and lizards

Recap: Identifying Raptors

Silhouette

Field Marks Size

Flight Pattern Habitat

​

Call

QUESTIONS?

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

TUVU

TUVU