Birds in Colorado

Hawks and Eagles

Family Accipitridae. Hawks and Eagles.

Golden Eagles, at the Pueblo Raptor Center at Pueblo, CO on 12 February 2010. The picture was taken through the screen on the poorly lit cage. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Accipitriformes (or Falconiformes, q.v.) Family: Accipitridae Genus: Aquila Species: chrysaetos
A Bald Eagle, at the Pueblo Raptor Center at Pueblo, CO on 12 February 2010. The picture was taken through the screen on the poorly lit cage. The second picture was taken on the same day, just north of Pueblo Lake. There were several of them flying circles, but not close enough for good pictures. These Eagles often spend the winter at Pueblo Lake, then return further north in the spring. They usually nest in the northern part of Colorado. Here is some live video of a nesting Bald Eagle in Iowa. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Accipitriformes Family: Accipitridae Genus: Haliaeetus Species: H. leucocephalus
Another Bald Eagle, this one near the intersection of Teller county roads 1 and 11, Teller county Colorado. Photo taken 22 May 2012.
Red-Tailed Hawks. The first two pictures were taken in Elbert Co., Colorado on 11 August 2008. The "comma, dash, dash, comma" pattern on the leading edge of the wing is a distinguishing feature of the Red-Tailed hawk. The third and fourth pictures were taken in Eastern El Paso county on 17 March 2010. Here is some live video of a nesting pair of Red-Tail hawks at Cornell University in New York. Here is a link to Youtube www.youtube.com/watch?v=33DWqRyAAUw for a screaming Red-Tailed Hawk. Click here for more Red-tail hawk pictures. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Falconiformes Family: Accipitridae Genus: Buteo Species: B. jamaicensis
Another Red-Tailed Hawk, watching the prairie for any movement of a possible meal. This was in Elbert county Colorado on 13 September 2011.
A Ferruginous Hawk, found in rural Elbert county, Colorado on 28 September 2010. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Falconiformes (or Accipitriformes) Family: Accipitridae Genus: Buteo Species: B. regalis
Another Ferruginous Hawk, found in rural Elbert county, Colorado on 17 October 2016. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Falconiformes (or Accipitriformes) Family: Accipitridae Genus: Buteo Species: B. regalis
This is a Cooper's Hawk, part of the Accipiter Genus. These are called Bird Hawks, and have long tails. Found at the Fountain Creek Nature Center on 20 August 2009. This one looks like some photos of a Juvenile Cooper's hawk seen on the internet. It is also a nice match to a photo of a Cooper's Hawk on the Colorado Birder web site at coloradobirder.ning.com/photo/coopers-hawk . It seems to have a very long and flexible neck. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Falconiformes (or Accipitriformes, q.v.) Family: Accipitridae Genus: Accipiter (Bird Hawks) Species: A. cooperii
Another Cooper's Hawk. This one visited my front yard on 29 October 2011. It seemed to think that it had seen something that looked like a meal. I think it is a juvenile. It started on my fence, and then moved to my mailbox.
A Swainson's Hawk, at the Pueblo Raptor Center at Pueblo, CO on 12 February 2010. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Subclass: Neornithes Infraclass: Neognathae Superorder: Neoaves Order: Falconiformes Family: Accipitridae Genus: Buteo Species: B. swainsoni
Another Swainson's Hawk. Found in the northern part of El Paso County Colorado on 10 August 2010, near Ramah, Colorado. At first, I thought it was a Redtail Hawk, since that is what we normally find in rural Colorado. The experts at the Colorado Birder web site corrected me. Normally, a Redtail Hawk will leave their perch if your car stops or even slows down, but a Swainson's Hawk will often stay and pose for pictures, like this one did. This one stayed put even when I leaned out the drivers window to take it's photo.