Pennsylvania is home to a number of hawks as well as some falcons, and like a lot of others, I’m always trying to identify which one of them I’m looking at.
Be aware that there are some differences between a hawk and a falcon.
For starters, falcons are typically smaller and faster than hawks, while hawks are generally larger and more powerful.
While it’s true that they are both birds of prey feeding on mice, voles, snakes, insects, and other small woodland critters, they exhibit different flight patterns during the hunt.
Falcons beat their wings rapidly, gliding briefly, while hawks flap their wings slowly, gliding for longer periods of time.
Besides differences in flight patterns, there are also differences in appearance; falcons will have long, more pointed wings, while hawks will have shorter, more rounded wing tips.
I’m always on the lookout, and spotting one of our most common hawks, the Red-tailed Hawk, happens fairly frequently in my travels. When trying to identify the Red-tailed Hawk, the first thing I look for is that obvious rusty, red-colored tail and the whitish breast. I often see a Red-tailed Hawk perched or circling over the grassy banks along a major highway.
Another commonly spotted Pennsylvania hawk is the Broad-winged Hawk — plain brown on the back and barred with a rusty color below and with broad black and white tail bands. This hawk is known for its massive migrations, and one day in September, literally thousands were counted as they passed by the lookout at Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania.
I don’t have room to describe them here, but some other hawks that you may see are the Goshawk, Cooper’s Hawk — gray back with rusty barred legs, Northern Harrier, and Red-shouldered Hawks. To help you identify these and other birds, I highly recommend the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds.
When it comes to spotting falcons, there is one we see quite often, but many are probably not aware that it is actually a falcon. Another reason we may not realize it’s a falcon is a name it often goes by — “Sparrow Hawk.” I’m referring to the American Kestrel, a small bird about the size of a Robin with a rusty brown back and gray wings and small black markings on the back, wings, and breast. Every spring, I begin spotting Kestrels as I head down the road; they are often perched atop a telephone pole, waiting to attack prey on the ground below. Unlike other falcons, Kestrels capture prey on the ground rather than in midair like other falcons.
Another well-known falcon is the Peregrine Falcon. The Peregrine, with its black head and face, basically disappeared from Pennsylvania and most of the eastern United States by 1960 due to the widespread use of DDT. Peregrines have been reintroduced, and in 2021, there were 73 nesting pairs, and sightings are becoming more common. Peregrines often prey on other birds by striking them in the air at up to 200 mph! I have been fortunate to spot several over the past few years. They often nest amongst cliffs, and in 2022, I painted the cover for Pennsylvania Game News of a Peregrine in flight at the rock cliff at Picture Rocks along Muncy Creek.
Another bird I’ll mention here is the osprey. Sometimes referred to as a fish hawk, the osprey is not actually a hawk or a falcon but rather belongs to a totally different family. They often nest near water because fish are a big part of their diet. In 1993, I did a painting of an osprey nesting along Loyalsock Creek.
Well, hopefully, you’ll spot some of our hawks and falcons. You don’t have to paint them, but you might want to try taking some interesting photographs.
