Gallery: Raptors of High Park

Birds of High Park / Wildlife of Toronto's High Park

Birds of prey find ample sources of food in High Park. At least four species breed here regularly: Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Great-horned Owl and Screech Owl. In addition, thousands of raptors pass over the park on their fall migration - so many that High Park is the site of an annual Hawk Watch.

Red-tailed Hawk. Photo: JM

Red-tailed Hawk. Photo: Ali Pashang

Red-tailed Hawk. Photo: JM

Red-tailed Hawk. Photo: Tony Pus

Red-tailed Hawk. Photo: Iain Fleming

Red-tailed Hawk eating squirrel. Photo: Brenda Solobay

Red-tailed Hawk juvenile. Photo: Nancy Shanoff

Red-tailed Hawk. Photo: JM

Cooper's Hawk. Photo: JM

Cooper's Hawk. Photo: Tony Pus

Cooper's Hawk. Photo: Iain Fleming

Cooper's Hawk. Photo: Tony Pus

Cooper’s Hawk. Photo: Ali Pashang

Red-shouldered Hawk. Photo: JM

Sharp-shinned Hawk. Photo: JM

Turkey Vulture. Photo: Ronald Wilkins

Bald Eagle. Photo: Steven Rose

Bald Eagle juvenile. Photo: Iain Fleming

Bald Eagle. Photo: David Kaposi

Osprey. Photo: JM

Great Horned Owl. Photo: Richard Sigesmund

Great-horned Owl. Photo: JM

Great Horned Owl juveniles. Photo: Tony Pus

Eastern Screech-Owl. Photo: Ali Pashang

Eastern Screech-Owl. Photo: Iain Fleming

Barred Owl. Photo: Tony Pus

Great Horned Owl. Photo: Tony Pus

Long-eared Owl. Photo: JM

Northern Saw-whet Owl. Photo: David Beadle

Great Horned Owls on nest. Photo: Ken Mulhall

Great Horned Owl juvenile. Photo: Ken Mulhall

Red-tailed Hawk

by Brenda Solobay

Red-tailed hawks are one of the most common hawk species in North America. This may be because they are so adaptable to their surroundings – all they need is:

– a high place to build a nest of gathered sticks

– an open area where prey can be found and

– a high perch to watch prey from.

Red-Tailed hawks have found suitable habitat in a variety of areas including metropolitan cities, parks, farm fields, deserts, prairies, woods, and mountainous areas. As well, they are not picky eaters and will eat whatever small mammals, birds or reptiles are available.

Red-tailed Hawks are raptors – birds that seize prey with their claws, called talons. Adults have a distinctive brownish-red tail, while juveniles have a pale tail with fine dark barring. The females tend to be slightly larger than the males, with an average wingspan of about 4 feet.

A mating pair of Red-tailed hawks usually stay together till the death of one of them. A pair of Red-tailed Hawks can produce 1 - 5 eggs per year, which are incubated mainly by the female for 4 - 5 weeks. The babies (fledglings) stay in the nest around 6 weeks. When the fledglings learn to fly, the parent hawks give them 3 week to learn to hunt and then be on their own.

In recent years, the Red-tailed Hawk has become a year-round resident in High Park's wooded areas and has also bred in the park. The abundance of prey such as squirrels and chipmunks provides an adequate food supply. Red-tailed Hawks can also be seen passing over the park during fall migration.

Gallery: Raptors of High ParkBird Gallery

Birds of High Park / Wildlife of Toronto's High Park

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