![]() They are capable of carrying some rather large prey despite their size. The Northern Goshawk chases prey through forests and will hunt both other birds and mammals, fiercely hooking its talons into prey. They behave and hunt similarly to the Cooper’s Hawk or Sharp-Shinned Hawk. They also have red eyes, which are hard to spot from a distance, but very distinct up close. The Northern Goshawk has a unique color pattern with dark gray wings, a pale underbelly and black head with white streaks. However, they also frequent suburban areas, so that can be a good place to watch for them too. They live in wooded areas, so the mountains are a great place to spot this hawk in Colorado. Otherwise, he may end up as the female’s next meal.Īfter mating, the male builds the nest high up in a tree and provides almost all of the food for the chicks.Īlthough Cooper’s Hawks can be spotted year-round in Colorado, the best times to see them are in either April or October because this is when they tend to be the most active, mating or preparing for winter, respectively. The female signals when she is ready to mate and only after this can the male safely approach. ![]() Similar to most hawk species, the females are larger than the male, but the Cooper’s Hawk male is particularly obedient to the females. They can be violent hunters, catching prey and either squeezing or drowning it to death. They have been seen chasing these smaller birds through forests, but also hanging around suburban bird feeders in hopes of catching their prey off guard. ![]() The Cooper’s Hawk is medium-seized itself but mostly hunts other small birds. The Cooper’s Hawk can sometimes be hard to identify because it looks very similar to the Sharp-Shinned Hawk.īoth the males and females have blue-gray feathers on their backs and light red-brown feathers on their underbellies. They are widely distributed and can live in a variety of habitats, but the best places to see them are in dense forests, on the forest edges, or in suburban areas near bird feeders. This species of hawk can be found year-round in Colorado, but the most common sightings are between September and April, when they have migrated to the region. The Sharp-Shinned Hawk usually nests high up in pine or aspen trees, in forests with dense tree cover.īoth the male and female will bring prey to their young, but the male is only capable of catching small prey because of his smaller size. When mating, the birds will often fly in circles around one another. However, they cannot digest feathers, so they must pluck their prey before eating it. This hawk is better at sneaking up on prey than chasing it or diving for it. Similar to the Cooper’s Hawk, this species will chase these smaller birds through forests, but also sometimes hunt at suburban bird feeders. Since the Sharp-Shinned Hawk has long legs and talons, they are able to easily catch moving prey and often hunt smaller birds. They are actually one of the smallest hawks in the US. One telling difference is that the Sharp-Shinned Hawk is much smaller in size and has longer legs that can be seen while the bird is in flight. The Sharp-Shinned Hawk can be difficult to identify because it looks similar to the Cooper’s Hawk.īoth species have blue-gray feathers on their backs and light red-brown feathers on their underbellies. ![]() Which park you’ll want to go to depends on what type of hawk you’re looking for though, as the variety of landscapes and habitats varies so much between parks. With 42 state parks and 13 national parks, there are endless opportunities to get out in nature and do some bird-watching. Luckily, much of Colorado remains undeveloped land, providing the seclusion from humans that most animals seek. Since Colorado is such a large state with several distinct types of ecosystems, many different kinds of hawks are able to live there.įrom the Rocky Mountains in the western part of the state to the grasslands in the east and the desert-like areas in the south, there’s a variety of habitats available to wildlife.īetween the high altitude and dryness of the state, as well as the extreme fluctuation in temperatures, Colorado’s climate is not always the most forgiving.ĭespite this, wildlife, and hawks in particular, thrive in these conditions. Colorado is one of the Four Corners’ states and has a wide array of wildlife, particularly in its mountainous regions.Īlthough the state is best known for much of the wildlife other than birds, Colorado is home to many different types of birds, including thirteen species of hawks. ![]()
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