Winter Raptors on the Grasslands

Winter is not only the best time in Central California to head out to the wetlands, but also the prime season for viewing a diverse array of raptors on the prairies.  Largely reduced to a fringe of remnants ringing the Great Central Valley, California's grasslands support a number of very special species that are with us only during the winter months.  

(Follow this link to learn about the value of California's grasslands!)

Ferruginous Hawk

North America's largest hawk, the Ferruginous Hawk (pictured both above and below), breeds in open prairies of the West.  In California, these regal raptors begin to arrive in October and November, and stay through March.

Ferruginous Hawk



Arctic-breeding Rough-legged Hawks migrate south in the fall to spend the winter months in open country across much of the United States.  The small bill and small feet are hallmarks of this Arctic species, along with feathered legs, a trait shared only with Ferruginous Hawks and Golden Eagles.  While other large raptors favor more sturdy perches, Rough-legged will perch on small, springy branches.

Rough-legged Hawk


The standard, year-round raptor across the U.S., Red-tailed Hawks are common and abundant in open habitats.  During the winter, migratory Red-tails from northern regions join more southerly populations, augmenting their numbers.  Keep an eye on roadside telephone poles for this familiar species!

Red-tailed Hawk



American Kestrels are falcons, raptors only distantly related to hawks.  North America's smallest falcon, kestrels are common in open habitat and farmland across the U.S.  Look for them perched on fence poles or utility wires, or hovering over fields in search of prey.

American Kestrel


Smaller and darker than kestrels, Merlin breed across Canada and the Northwest, migrating south to spend winter in the West and along the Gulf Coast.  Quick, agile and strong fliers, your best bet for glimpsing a Merlin is to find this bird while it is hunting from a perch.

Merlin



Nearly as large a its cousin, the Peregrine Falcon, Prairie Falcons are pale raptors of the West, where they nest largely on cliffs, but will also use trees and man-made structures.  They may be seen around the Central Valley throughout the year, but are by far more common from fall through spring.

Prairie Falcon


Huge and majestic, Golden Eagles and Bald Eagles are also present year-round in Central California.  However, winter still seems to be the best time to find these potentially elusive raptors.  Golden Eagles haunt the grassland fringes of the Valley, while Bald Eagles can usually be found hanging around the many reservoirs that dot the eastern edge of the Valley.

Bald Eagle



The weather is mild, the grass is green, and hawks, falcons and raptors are present in abundance this January.  So, pack a lunch and head out to the grasslands (don't be afraid to explore the backroads!) to see what turns up!

Red-tailed Hawk (left) and Rough-legged Hawk


For an excellent book on North American raptors, packed full of wonderful photos, ID tips and fun quizzes, I highly recommend The Crossley ID Guide: Raptors.  

Comments

Post a Comment

You Might Also Like:

Birds of the Desert: Residents & Spring Migrants

Image
Nearly everyone knows the desert as a barren, desolate land of extremes: high heat, low precipitation; little available food and water; prickly, spiny, unfriendly plants growing in a sea of rocks and sand as far as the eye can see.  But for those who stop and look closer, the desert reveals itself as the beautiful, incredible, mesmerizing place it truly is, teeming with unexpected life. Juvenile male Costa's Hummingbird visiting chuparosa blooms next to our campsite in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. I particularly love the desert in the spring, when the annual wildflowers, cacti, flowering trees and shrubs are all in bloom.  (I've experienced the desert in the searing 120 degree heat of summer, and the rainy, even snowy cold of winter... and spring wins every time!)  Eric and I just returned from a week in the Colorado desert, exploring the imperiled, accidental Salton Sea (more on that coming soon), the vital wetlands of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refu
Read more

Great Horned Owl Fledglings

Image
It's spring, and the marshes, grasslands and woodlands of California are brimming with life as young birds of all description hatch, grow and begin to fledge.  I've mentioned before that when I can't get out into a proper patch of wilderness, I enjoy birding at CSU Stanislaus.   This year, there is something particularly exciting on the college campus: a family of Great Horned Owls ( Bubo virginianus ). Great Horned Owls begin breeding very early (or late) in the year, with courtship beginning in the late fall and early winter.  While out for a walk last December, Eric and I heard a pair of Great Horned Owls on campus.  Noting the presence of tall pine trees (potential nesting habitat) and an abundance of prey (gophers and waterfowl), I dared to hope they might choose to stay.  And it turns out, they did! Great Horned Owls lay their eggs as early as January or February in California.  Eggs are incubated by the female for about four weeks, while the male keeps her
Read more

Joshua Tree Woodlands: A Tale of Sloths, Moths and the Trees that Need Them

Image
In 1844, early California explorer John C. Fremont gave a somewhat scathing review of Joshua trees when he wrote, "...their stiff and ungraceful form makes them to the traveler the most repulsive tree in the vegetable kingdom."  Rather unkind, don't you think?  But when Joshua trees were formally described by scientist William Trelease in the 1890's, he noted that Joshua Trees are "the most attractive of all the Yuccas."  I am inclined to agree with this sentiment, and must disagree most heartily with Lieutenant Fremont! I, for one, adore Joshua Trees, with their whimsical shapes and great ecological significance!  If you struggle with plant identification, the iconic Joshua tree, hallmark of the Mojave Desert, is a good place to start.  With densely spiked tufts protruding from the ends of gangly arms stretched towards the heavens, this looks like a plant straight from a Dr. Seuss book.  Native people called these trees “humwichawa,” and used thei
Read more

Exploring New Places: South Carolina's Salt Marshes and Tidal Creeks

Image
Throughout South Carolina's Low Country, winding tendrils of water wend their way through a sea of grass, rising and falling with each new tide.  Low-lying intertidal areas immediately inland from the coast, salt marshes and tidal creeks form the interface between upland forests and urban areas, and brackish estuaries where freshwater and saltwater mix.   Tidal creeks are, to a first-time visitor to the South Carolina coast like myself, absolutely beautiful, mysterious, enthralling places where silvery ribbons of water meander seemingly aimlessly through a vivid green matrix.  They give the impression that there is water everywhere , a foreign concept to someone from arid, drought-stricken Mediterranean California.  And that was my first impression of South Carolina: there was water everywhere I looked!  Water in the ocean, lakes, rivers, creeks and wetlands, water covering the ground, falling from the sky, in the air itself!   Is there any land at all in this veritable wa
Read more

Gardens Gone Native: A Native Plant Garden Tour in the Sacramento Valley

Image
Last Saturday, I spent a very enjoyable day touring 13 of the 21 gardens featured in the 2018 Gardens Gone Native Tour, hosted by the Sacramento Valley chapter of the California Native Plant Society. The centerpiece of this front yard is a young Valley Oak (Quercus lobata).  It is surrounded by plantings of Silver Bush Lupine, Western Redbud, Deer Grass and more, all interlaced with inviting pathways and scattered with annual California Poppies. According to their website , "The purpose of the Gardens Gone Native Tour is to support the mission of the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the California Native Plant Society by raising awareness of the beauty and environmental functions of California's diverse native plants.  Our goal is to provide members of our community with the opportunity to view outstanding examples of native plant gardens, promote the benefits and use of California natives in home and public gardens, and provide information on how to plant and successful
Read more

A Shorebird Primer: Godwits, Curlews, Willets and Whimbrels

Image
For those of us living in the Great Central Valley, autumn is the time to head to the coast.  Of course, there is no bad time to visit California's magnificent coastline.  But as the heat and haze of summer drag on in the Valley, the sea becomes increasingly tantalizing: September and the onset of autumn bring sunny weather and an abundance of migratory seabirds and shorebirds to our coast. A new birder visiting California's Central Coast will undoubtedly be met with a splendid array of very confusing birds.  Among these are small shorebirds like  "peeps" (sandpipers), Sanderlings and various  plovers .  But the larger birds can be just as confusing, until you learn a few distinguishing features.  Four large shorebirds that are commonly seen (and commonly confused) along California's Central Coast are Godwits, Curlews, Willets and Whimbrels. Marbled Godwit (upper left), Whimbrel (upper right), Long-billed Curlew (center front) The distinguishing featu
Read more