I just moved to a new house and there is a hawk that flies around all day screaming. He sounds a lot like a sea gull. He's pretty big but I haven't been able to get a good picture of him. This one was taken as he was flying above me. Any idea what he is?
Thanks,
Kristen
Looks like a Red-tailed Hawk to me.
Hi Pelletory. We had a Red-tailed Hawk nesting behind our old house (or so I was told that is what he was). He was much smaller than this one and sounded nothing like him. I just checked out a few sites that have sound wav's and listened to some Red-tailed Hawks and they don't sound anything like this guy. The Red-tailed Hawk sounds slower, more drawn out and not quite as shrill. This one seriously sounds like a sea gull or turn. I feel like I'm sitting at the beach as I listen to him all day. I can't comment on how they look compared to each other because I never saw the one at the old house up close, just flying around and same for this one too. I've listened to many wav files on different hawks and haven't found one that sounds like him yet.
It's a juvenile (see the finely barred brownish tail; orangey-red on an adult), that's why the call is higher pitched. Probably still demanding food from its parents.
Resin
Thanks Resin and Pelletory. I really would never have guessed since a Red-Tailed Hawk is the only one I've seen and been told what it was, before. Today I noticed there are two of them flying around. And they must be demanding food from their parent's because they sure are giving everything else enough notice that they are there so everything else has time to hide!
