Label: Hawk Cam
April 21, 2011
Live “Hawk Cam”
This is a rare sight – a live "hawk cam," where a pair of red-tailed hawks are tending their clutch of eggs, waiting for their fledglings to hatch later this week. What is unusual about this pair of raptors is that they live in New York City. Their nest is on the 12th floor window ledge at New York University.
The female (whom New Yorkers have named "Violet") spends most of her time sitting on the nest, though "Bobby" takes over when she leaves to hunt or stretch her wings. Once the eggs hatch, she will care for the fledglings while Bobby provides most of the food for the family. It takes about 10 weeks for the young hawks to learn to fly and hunt. During that time, observers will hear them make a klee-uk food cry when their parents leave the nest.
Part of celebrating Earth Day is taking the time to enjoy the beauty and wonders around us….and that includes the animals who share the Earth with us. I often watch red-tailed hawks upstate, soaring in the thermals (currents of warm air rising up through the cooler surrounding air) high overhead. These majestic predators search for prey as they glide, seemingly effortlessly, through the skies.
It is not always easy to identify Red-Tailed Hawks though, as their red feathers are usually tucked into their body. Yesterday, as I was watching the hawk cam, Violet stretched and spread her feathers out to clean herself. Look at this shot of her red tail feathers! Isn’t that wonderful?
Posted by: Seymour Simon
