Waterman Links
BIRDS OF PREY
OF THE WATERMAN CENTER
Our mission is to protect these birds and to provide them with humane and enriching lives. Birds of prey can live in captivity for many years, and, as caretakers, we need to have the necessary environment and medical attention to support their survival. Please consider being a part of something very special and lend your support to these wondrous creatures.
RED-TAILED HAWK
Redmond, our red-tailed hawk has lived at Waterman Center about 12 years and is estimated to have been born in 1990. Redmond was found weak and sickly in the wild and brought to the Cornell Wildlife Center. He was found to have very poor eyesight in his left eye, and not able to hunt in the wild. Redmond is used in our educational programs.
Photographs are of the
raptors at Waterman Center.
Red-tailed Hawk Facts:
Red-tailed Hawks are one of the largest members of hawks known as
buteos, identified by broad wings and a wide, fan-like tail used for soaring. Red-tailed
Hawks hunt from a high perch or while soaring in the air. Probably the most common hawk
in North America. As with most raptors Red-tailed Hawk has a hooked beaks, talons and
catches their food with their feet. The male and female Red-tailed Hawks have similar
color patterns, but differ in size. The females are generally 25% larger than the males.
Males are faster and can catch more agile prey; females can handle larger, stronger
animals.
Size: Male - 1.25-2 pounds, Female - 2-4 pounds
Wingspan: 45-52 in
Habitat: Red-tailed Hawks inhabit just about every habitat of the continent except in areas of unbroken forest or tundra. They occur in a variety of habitats including woods with nearby open land, plains, prairie groves and deserts. Their preferred forest types are white pine forest and mixed hardwoods with red oak dominating. Red-tailed Hawks can often be seen perched on treetops, telephone poles and fence posts, especially along the highways.
Nesting: Red-tailed Hawks typically put their nests in the crowns of tall trees where they have a commanding view of the landscape. The Red-tailed Hawk lays1-5 white or buff speckled with brown eggs. Eggs are approximately 2.5 in by 1.8 in. Incubation is 28 – 35 days. Both members build the nest, or simply refurbish one of the nests they’ve used in previous years. Nests are tall piles of dry sticks up to 6.5 feet high and 3 feet across. The inner cup is lined with bark strips, fresh foliage, and dry vegetation.
Diet: They prey mainly on mammals. They eat voles, mice, wood rats, rabbits and squirrels. but will also feed on snakes, amphibians, small and medium-sized birds such as pheasants, starlings and blackbirds. Individual prey can weigh up to 5 pounds.
Communication: Has a thrilling, raspy scream that sounds exactly like a raptor should sound. At least, that’s what Hollywood directors seem to think. Whenever a hawk or eagle appears onscreen, no matter what species, the shrill cry on the soundtrack is almost always a Red-tailed Hawk.
Behavior: Red-tailed Hawks are large,
sharp-taloned birds that can be aggressive when defending nests or territories.
They frequently chase off other hawks, eagles, and Great Horned Owls.
• Mated pairs typically stay together until one of the pair dies.
• Resident or short-distance migrant. Most birds from Alaska, Canada, and the northern Great Plains fly south for a few months in winter, remaining in North America. Birds across the rest of the continent typically stay put, sharing the countryside with northern arrivals.
BARN OWL:
The barn owl at Waterman Center, Barnadette, was raised in captivity by master
falconer, Jonathan Wood, of the Raptor Project, Roxbury, NY. She came to Waterman Center
as an immature owl in May, 2009. New York State does not allow the release of birds that
have been raised in captivity.
Barn Owl Facts: The Barn Owl is one of the most widely distributed birds in the world, found on all continents except Antarctica, and on many oceanic islands as well. It has been introduced by people to some of the few places it did not already occur, namely Hawaii and the Seychelles Islands. A Barn Owl's back, head and wings are yellowish-brown spotted with grays and darker browns. They have a distinctly white, heart-shaped face and long white legs with sparsely feathered feet. The Barn Owl is one of the few bird species with the female showier than the male. The female has a more reddish chest that is more heavily spotted. The spots may signal to a potential mate the quality of the female. Heavily spotted females get fewer parasitic flies and may be more resistant to parasites and diseases.
Lifespan: 2 years in the wild
Size: Both sexes are the same length 12.6-15.7 in.
Wingspan: 39-49 inches
Weight: 14.1–24.7 oz.
Habitat: Found in open habitats, such as grasslands, deserts, marshes, forest edges and farm yards.
Nesting: Barn owls nest in hollow trees, cliff cavities, in buildings such as barns and church spires, and in nest boxes. The nest cup is made from shredded owl pellets. They don’t construct a nest, but rather lay 4-7 eggs directly on the surface of their nest area at 2-3 day intervals. The eggs are incubated for 24-28 days by the female.
Diet: Small mammals such as mice, rats and voles.
Communication: Barn Owl calls normally sound like a soft and wheezy ascending screech. When threatened at the nest they may hiss.
Behavior:
• The Barn Owl has excellent low-light vision, and can easily find prey at night by
sight. But its ability to locate prey by sound alone is the best of any animal that has
ever been tested. Their incredible hearing allows them to hunt in total darkness. A
mouse squeaking may attract a barn owl one-fourth of a mile away.
They are living mousetraps. In fact, each barn owl may eat as many mice each year as
three feral house cats. Yet they only weigh about a pound. Farmers love having barn
owls because they eat the voles and mice that might otherwise eat their crops and from
their grain storage areas.
• Barn Owls have a special feather structure that make their flight silent for
efficient rodent hunting. Their ears are asymmetrical, meaning that one ear is lower than
the other. This creates exacting directional hearing and enables the owl to have pinpoint
accuracy for locating prey by sound in total darkness.
• Barn owls are strictly nocturnal and many are killed by cars. They range throughout
most of the U.S. and Mexico.
• Sharp talons provide some defense. Barn owls can be attacked by larger owls and
hawks. They are defenseless against loss of habitat.
• Populations in Midwest and inland East dropped dramatically during 1970-2000.
They are listed as Endangered in some states. Nest box programs have helped increase
populations in some areas.
GREAT HORNED OWL RELEASE:
On January 10, 2010, a rehabilitated Great-Horned Owl was released at Waterman
Conservation Education Center. Carole LaPlante, wildlife rehabilitator and volunteer,
believed that the owl had been hit by a car. It was found in Vestal and brought to Carole.
Approximately 100 gathered to watch the owl’s release outside the conservation center. It took a bit of coaxing, and some nudging before it finally took flight, soaring about the crowd to woods nearby.
There have been a number of phone calls since then to Waterman Center, indicating that some folks have seen a large owl in the area. Keep your eyes peeled. Perhaps you’ll see this beautiful bird. It’s always quite a thrill to spot this largest of local owls.
