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| Raptors, including Great Horned Owls, are a common site on the prairie |
Living in Colorado offers lots of opportunities for scenery and animals.
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| My usual circuit |
I often drive an area about a half an hour away looking for prairie critters. The scenery isn’t much, except when you get a good view of Pikes Peak …
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| Pikes Peak dominates the Colorado Springs skyline (but I can't see it from my house) |
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| Storm from my Burrowing Owl viewing spot |
Or, after a storm ...
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| Rainbow |
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| The moon setting at dawn |
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| Prairie sunset |
Or, when the moon comes out …
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| Super moon |
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| Winter |
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| A Sunflower Chimney Bee on a (wouldn't you know it?) sunflower |
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| Every now and then I come upon a round-up |
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| St. Mary's High Dormition Orthodox Church down the road in Calhan |
Or whatever this is …
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| The "ruins" of Squirrel Creek School; I cannot find out what happened here |
But, it’s the birds and animals that really make it worth the trip …
Animals
There are a variety of animals on the prairie -- some rare and some common, including Badgers (I have seen them elsewhere in Colorado, but have yet to find one on my prairie) …
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| This Badger was at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge near Denver |
Black-tailed Jack Rabbits ...
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| Jack Rabbits are large and muscular |
Mule Deer …
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| Over the fence |
Pronghorn …
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| Pronghorn always stare you down when you encounter them |
… which are NOT Antelope; they are just Pronghorn ...
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| Pronghorn do not like to jump; this one is looking for a passage under the fence |
Black-tailed Prairie Dogs ...
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| Black-tailed Prairie Dog in a burrow |
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| A young Swift Fox |
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| A mare and foal on a prairie ranch |
Cows ...
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| Watching from behind the fence |
Even Texas Longhorns ...
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| I see a lot of Longhorns on the Prairie |
And, Llamas ...
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| So goofy looking |
... and Alpacas ...
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| I have no words |
Red-tailed Hawk
A big draw all year ‘round is raptors. There is a wide variety depending on time of year and how lucky you are.
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| Two juvenile Red-tailed Hawks in a scuffle over a Prairie Dog |
A common sighting any month of the year is the Red-tailed Hawk, which is the most widespread large Hawk in North America.
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| The red tail is the give-away for adults |
Bulky and broad-winged, the Red-tailed Hawk is favors open country and is commonly seen perched on roadside poles ...
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| Usually on the power pole crossbars, sometimes they perch on the actual wires |
... or sailing over fields and woods ...
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| A juvenile in flight |
Although adults usually can be recognized by the trademark reddish-brown tail ...
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| A roadside Red-tailed Hawk showing off its wings and rufous tail |
... the rest of their plumage can vary from blackish to rufous-brown to nearly white.
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| A prominent "belly band" is a key ID marker for a Red-tailed Hawk |
Adding to the confusion, juveniles have striped rather than red tails.
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| Juveniles also have yellow eyes |
American Kestrel
Another common sight, usually seen a bit more frequently in winter, is the American Kestrel. North America's littlest falcon, Kestrels are roughly the size of a Dove.
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| A female Kestrel closing in on prey |
One of the most colorful raptors, the male has a slate-blue head and wings and a rusty-red back and tail ...
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| The male Kestrel is a beauty |
... the female has the same red on her wings, back and tail. Both have pairs of black vertical slashes on the sides of their faces that are sometimes called a "mustache" and a "sideburn."
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| A female American Kestrel; notice the sideburns? |
Hunting for insects and other small prey in open territory, American Kestrels usually snatch their victims from the ground, but they can catch prey in the air.
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| Enjoying a buggy snack |
When perched, Kestrels pump their tails to keep their balance. They often hover facing into the wind, flapping and adjusting their long tails to stay in place.
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| The typical Kestrel hover |
Prairie Falcon
It seems like the Prairie Falcon should be one of my most common sightings out on my local prairie, but I almost never see them out there.
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| A Prairie Falcon diving from a pole |
I more commonly see them at Garden of the Gods right smack in the middle of Colorado Springs, or up near Caty’s house on the prairies in Weld County.
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| Prairie Falcons nest on the rocks at Garden of the Gods |
A raptor of wide-open spaces, Prairie Falcons glide above shrubby deserts and grasslands searching for ground squirrels and other small mammals and birds. Prairie Falcons are highly susceptible to the eggshell-thinning effects of DDT, but they were not hit as hard as Peregrine Falcons and Merlins in the 20th century because their mammal-based diet exposed them to lower pesticide levels than their bird-eating relatives.
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| Perching on a pole |
Prairie Falcons are among the species of birds that seem to play; they've been seen dropping dried cow manure in midair and then diving to catch it. Like young ball players flipping a baseball to themselves, this may be a way to sharpen their coordination skills.
Great Horned Owl
Another year year-round resident on the prairie (and practically everywhere else) is the Great Horned Owl, which we have in abundance in Colorado.
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| Watching me after launching off a power pole |
Identifiable by tufts that look like, but are not, ears or horns, the GHO is a powerful predator that can take down birds (including other Owls) and mammals larger than itself, but it also dines on insects, small rodents and frogs.
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| The tufts are the genesis of the name |
It's one of the most common Owls in North America, found in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the Tropics.
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| Mama and baby in a nest |
Like most raptors, the female is about 30 percent larger than the male.
GHOs are covered in extremely soft feathers that insulate them against the cold winter weather and help them fly silently in pursuit of prey. Their short, wide wings allow them to maneuver among the trees of the forest.
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| Owls have amazing wings |
GHOs have large eyes, pupils that open widely in the dark and retinas containing many rod cells for excellent night vision. Their eyes don't move in their sockets, but they can swivel their heads more than 180 degrees to look in any direction. They also have sensitive hearing, thanks in part to facial disc feathers that direct sound waves to their ears.
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| The facial disk is an identifying feature |
I have found two GHO nests on my own out on the prairie near me.
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| One of the nests I found |
Some years, the foliage gets so thick that I can't see the Owlets, but last year either the clutch was early or the leaves were late and I got a good view.
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| The red "mustache" shows that the Owlet is well fed |
GHOs steal, rather than build nests, but once settled, they tend to return every year. They nest in late winter thus beating competitors to their nest sites.
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| Soaring over the prairie |
Northern Harrier
I used to see Northern Harriers almost every time I ventured out to the prairies, but lately they have been hard to come by. I don’t know why – perhaps it is somehow related to several wildfires that have burned some of the vegetation.
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| A female Northern Harrier lifting up |
Fortunately, when they are present, they are easy to recognize: slim, long-tailed with vee-shaped wings, a white rump patch and an Owl-shaped facial disc.
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| The facial disk is a key identifier |
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| Two Harriers in a field |
The facial disc is a hunting tool: it gathers sound so that the Harrier can hear mice and voles beneath the vegetation.
Northern Harriers hunt mostly small mammals and small birds, but they can also take down bigger prey such as rabbits and ducks. They sometimes subdue larger animals by drowning them.
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| The male with some roadkill |
The adult male is called the “Gray Ghost” as a nod to its gray-and-white coloration and quiet, stealthy ways.
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| Gray Ghost on the prowl |
Female and juveniles are brown and white; they female with a streaked breast and the juvenile with a buffy one. Juvenile males have pale greenish-yellow eyes and juvenile females have dark chocolate brown eyes.
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| A juvenile male |
The eye color of both sexes changes gradually to lemon yellow by the time they reach adulthood.
Golden Eagle
We’re lucky to have a local Golden Eagle population.
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| A Golden Eagle on a post |
There is a huge nest out on my route that has been occupied consistently for about 25 years. It is behind a farm and just a bit distant for decent photos, but it makes me happy knowing that it is there.
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| The nest is on a cliff on a rock outcrop |
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| I most often see them sitting, surveying the landscape |
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| But, I do occasionally see them flying |
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| A nice profile |
One of the largest, fastest, nimblest raptors in North America, the Golden Eagle can be differentiated from immature Bald Eagles by the golden feathers on the back of its head and neck and by its huge beak and talons.
Although capable of killing large prey such as Cranes, wild ungulates and domestic livestock, the Golden Eagle subsists primarily on Rabbits, Hares, Ground Squirrels and Prairie Dogs.
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| The white on juveniles’ wings varies among individuals; some have none |
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| Coat of Arms of Mexico |
Golden Eagles, like their cousins the Rough-legged Hawk and the Ferruginous Hawk, have legs feathered all the way to the toes.
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| Oddly, Golden and Bald Eagles are not that closely related |
Merlin
A tiny bit larger than the American Kestrel and way, way harder to find is the Merlin, which we get in the winter. I haven’t seen many, but one I encountered on the prairie posed very amiably as it devoured a Horned Lark.
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| A fierce little predator |
Unfortunately, I didn’t see the kill, just the aftermath.
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| Horned Larks are a favorite prairie food |
These small falcons use surprise attacks to bring down small songbirds and shorebirds.
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| They are slightly larger and less colorful than Kestrels |
Called "lady hawks" by medieval falconers, their small size made them preferred by European noblewomen, who used them to hunt Skylarks. They also used to be called "pigeon hawks" because in flight they look somewhat like pigeons.
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| This series is the only time I have managed to photograph a Merlin on my prairie |
Merlin populations declined significantly in the 20th Century because of habitat loss and DDT, but they have rebounded fairly well. Still, I’d like to see more of them. They are so cute.
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| Quite an accomplishment being cute while holding a bloody corpse |
The name "Merlin" comes from "Esmerillon," the old French name for the species.
Ferruginous Hawk
Another winter bird on my prairies is the Ferruginous Hawk, a big beauty found in prairies, deserts and open range of the West. While we see it only seasonally, it lives on the edges of Colorado year-round.
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| You can see the feathered legs very well here |
This largest of North American Hawks is striking for its size, rufous shoulders and legs, white underparts and rufous feathered legs that form a distinctive vee while it is flying.
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| The legs form a distinctive "vee" |
“Ferruginous” means “rust-colored.” By the way, there are dark-morph Ferruginous Hawks, but they are far less common.
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| Ferruginous Hawk soaring over the prairie |
Often seen on the ground; Ferruginous Hawks eat a diet of small mammals, sometimes standing above Prairie Dog or Ground Squirrel burrows to wait for prey to emerge.
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| They often hunt insects on the ground |
When Bison still freely roamed, Ferruginous Hawk nests contained bison bones and hair along with sticks and twigs. The bulky sticks they use are not easily woven together, so they often build on the remains of existing Hawk or Crow nests.
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| Juvenile Ferruginous Hawk in flight |
Rough-legged Hawk
The third feathered-leg Hawk – the Rough-legged Hawk – also winters in Colorado, after spending summers feeding and breeding in the Arctic tundra.
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| A Rough-legged Hawk on the wing |
Like many other raptors, these medium-sized Hawks are often perched on poles.
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| Often, when they are one a high pole, you can get fairly close |
In addition to their feathered ("rough") legs, they can be identified by their cute little beak.
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| The smaller hooked beak makes them look less fierce than other raptors |
The come in both dark and light morphs.
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| I usually see light morph Rough-legged Hawks |
Non-breeding adults eat about a quarter pound of food daily, or a tenth of their body mass, about five small mammals.
Rough-legged Hawks have been shown to hunt more in areas experimentally treated with vole urine than in control areas; it is believed that they (and American Kestrels) can see the urine stains, which are visible in ultraviolet light. This most likely helps them hunt.
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| On its way |
Swainson’s Hawk
As the Rough-legged Hawks are departing, we get a summer visitor, many of which have traveled to Colorado all the way from Argentina.
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| Female Swainson's Hawk leaving her nest |
The large Swainson’s Hawk is perhaps the most common raptor on my prairie, occupying power poles, trees or fence posts or sitting on the ground.
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| A common prairie site |
They are easily identified by the yellow patch above their beaks ...
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| The yellow upper beak is a primary characteristic |
... a dark bib ...
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| The bid can be solid or mottled |
... and dark lower edges on their wings.
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| Quite different from a Red-tail Hawk's wings |
Dark morphs, which seem to be quite common up in Yellowstone, are a bit harder to ID.
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| Dark morphs have fooled me a couple of times |
Swainson's Hawks hunt using various methods.
Many still-hunt, watching for prey activity from a perch such as a tree, bush, pylon, telephone pole, hummock or other high object.
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| Very common here in summer |
While hunting on the ground, almost entirely for large insects, their gait can appear awkward but they are often successful in pinning down several insects per day. Grasshoppers are such an important part of their diet that they are called Grasshopper Hawks in South America.
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| Launching from the nest |
Their migration, which they embark upon in “kettles” numbering in the hundreds of thousands, is the longest of any American raptor.
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| Photo: Audubon.org |
Last year I followed the progress of Swainson’s nest out on the prairie ...
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| My first encounter with the chick |
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| I watched it as it got bigger and braver |
... and fledge ...
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| And, then it was almost grown |
Watch it here ...
Common Nighthawk
A very different-looking raptor, the Common Nighthawk is a treat to see, especially when it is hunting at dusk.
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| A very interesting bird |
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| A fly-by |
The male flies high and then abruptly dives and flexes his wings downward; the air rushing across his wingtips makes a deep booming or whooshing sound, that echos across the wide expanse of the prairie..
The dives may be directed at females, territorial intruders and even people.
The name "nighthawk" is a misnomer, since the bird not nocturnal (it's crepuscular: active at dawn and dusk) and it is not a Hawk (it’s a nightjar).
Nighthawks, like their cousins the Pauraque and the Chuck Will’s Widow, don’t build nests, instead nesting on the ground in sticks or leaves. They have such superior camouflage that it is virtually impossible to see the chicks even if they are right in front of you.
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| This is a common Pauraque; almost impossible to see among the twigs |
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| Resting before the hunt |
Males have a white throat patch and a white tail bar ...
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| A male on a post |
... females have light brown or cinnamon colored throat and no tail bar ...
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| Late afternoon shot of a female |
... both sexes have a white wing bar ...
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| The classic Common Nighthawk wing position |
See one here.
More to Come
That is a lot of Raptors, but not all the prairies have to offer. I have one more to talk about, but I am saving that for my next post. Stay tuned ...
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| You never know what you are going to see |
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