Red-tailed along with red-shouldered and broad-winged, are known as buteo hawks. The red-tailed hawk is perhaps the one with which most people are familiar, as it is commonly seen perched along roads and interstate highways, especially during the winter months. Six species of hawks nest in Virginia: red-tailed, red-shouldered, broad-winged, Cooper’s, sharp-shinned, and the Northern harrier. Kestrels can be seen “kiting” or hovering in the air over potential prey. Considered the world’s fastest bird, peregrines can achieve speeds up to 200 mph during a dive. Their long, pointed wings and long compressed tails are adapted for the high-speed predatory dives. Falcons belong to a different family than that to which most hawks and eagles belong. The slightly larger merlin is common winter visitor, especially to the tidewater region. The other, the American kestrel, is North America’s smallest raptor.

The peregrine is one of two species of falcons that nest in Virginia. Peregrines were taken off the federal endangered species list in 1999, but are still protected as a State Threatened species in Virginia. Visit the falcon section of our website for more information about peregrines and our FalconTrak program, which allows biologists to track peregrine movement and migration through satellite technology. There are now 17 known breeding pairs in the Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore and another pair has successfully nested in downtown Richmond. Food is provided until the birds are able to hunt successfully. Ten to 15 days later, when the young falcons are able to fly, the box is opened and the birds released. Food is provided daily, but interactions with humans are kept to an absolute minimum. This process involves placing 3-6 month-old chicks into a protective box at a release site. Beginning in 1978 on the Eastern Shore, state biologists used a method known as “hacking” to re-introduce peregrines. Osprey have now been de-listed and the bald eagle numbers have increased to the point where it is currently under consideration for federal de-listing from its current threatened status.Īs the Commonweath’s wildlife agency, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries played a lead role in the restoration and management of peregrines in the state. Following the ban of DDT in 1974, raptor populations began to slowly recover. Native to Virginia’s Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains, the peregrine was extirpated as a state nesting species by the 60s and all were placed on both the federal and Virginia state endangered species list. The bald eagle, peregrine falcon and osprey were especially hard-hit. Widespread use of DDT following World War II further decimated populations of many of these top predators. While people today enjoy watching hawks and eagles soaring majestically high overhead, it wasn’t all that long ago when raptors were wrongly persecuted as “varmints”. While owls predominantly hunt at night, all other raptors are diurnal or daytime predators. With the exception of vultures, which will be covered separately, raptors share the following features: powerful feet with sharp, curved talons used to capture their prey, a sharp, hooked beak for cutting and tearing meat, and keen eyesight. For the last several springs, many Richmonders have been thrilled to watch the progress of a pair of peregrine falcons caring for their offspring via a video camera installed on the McGuire Woods building and eagerly anticipate their return in the coming weeks. The Virginian-Pilot recently featured a story about the red-tailed hawks that still call the Virginia Beach Town Center area home, despite all of its recent development. The now famous red-tailed hawk, Pale Male, who was evicted from his nest site high atop an upscale New York City apartment, but then allowed to return, now has his own website and is the subject of an award-winning documentary. In fact, a number of raptors have been grabbing local and national headlines of late. But the real raptors, which collectively include eagles, hawks, kites, harriers, falcons, the osprey, owls and, depending on your source of reference, vultures are every bit as fascinating and worthy of our attention. These days, “raptor” is more likely to conjure up an image of a Toronto basketball player or one of those lithe, cunning dinosaurs of Jurassic Park fame, than the birds of prey to which this term more correctly refers.

Largest bird of prey