Wing shape has the largest impact on flight speed. Most songbirds have short wings that more or less taper to a point at their outer tip. This type of wing structure allows these kinds of birds to take off rapidly, but they are not designed for flying at high speeds for sustained periods of time. Bird species with large, broad wings, such as vultures, hawks and eagles, are designed for soaring, but they certainly can fly at tremendous speeds for short periods of time, particularly when they are in pursuit of prey.
When I lead bird walks, I point out the different flight patterns that are observed in the species we are seeing. As you learn the different flight patterns that are unique to specific bird species, you can begin to categorize birds into families just by observing their flight behavior.
Click HERE. Interested in learning more about local birds? We have a wonderful online bird guide set up. As a group accipiters are secretive and are observed less frequently than most other hawks. Sharp-shinned Hawks are the smallest of the three North American accipiters. They measure 10 to 14 inches long and have wingspans of about 2 feet, yet weigh only 2 to 7 ounces. Young Sharp-shins are brown backed and have brown streaks on their white breasts.
As they mature, the colors change: their backs become slate-gray, and their breasts become barred with reddish-brown. Even their eye color changes with age — from yellow to deep red. The small head is round, and the long, square-tipped tail has narrow black and gray bands.
They are swift, agile hawks well adapted to flying in heavily forested areas. Their prey, predominantly small birds, is captured in dashing, headlong pursuits. In addition to birds, it also captures mammals, including squirrels and rabbits, and occasionally takes lizards and amphibians. The reasons for its decline are not positively known, but habitat loss, nesting failures from the effects of pesticides, and direct persecution by man could be contributing factors.
It is presently classified as a species of special concern in New Jersey. The Goshawk is a powerful raptor and the largest of the North American accipiters. It is 20 to 26 inches long with a wingspan of 2 to 4 feet. The adult Goshawk is bluish-gray above, and its underside is white with a fine black herringbone pattern.
All have a white streak above the eye. Their prey consists largely of birds, from songbirds to ducks and grouse. They also capture numbers of mammals, ranging from mice and chipmunks to rabbits and woodchucks. Hunting from perches or on the wing, Goshawks are aggressive and persistent in pursuit of food and have been known to chase prey on foot. The Goshawk is a northern bird, but some do breed in the mountains of northwestern New Jersey.
They are secretive by nature and prefer to live in dense wooded areas, hence they are seldom observed. Goshawks are currently considered an endangered breeding species in NJ. Buteos are robust hawks with long, broad, rounded wings and short broad tails. Because they are easily observed soaring in wide, lazy circles or perched in a conspicuous place, they are among the best known hawks. They hunt mainly from perches, dropping to the ground to capture their prey.
The Broad-winged Hawk is one of the smallest buteos, about the size of a crow. It is 14 to 19 inches long, with a wingspan of about 3 feet. Its relatively short wings and tail give the bird a chunky appearance in flight. The adult is grayish-brown on the back, and its underparts are white, heavily barred with reddish-brown. Its tail is dark, with two or three equally wide white bands. The immature is brown-backed, and its underparts are whitish with vertical brown streaks.
The barring in the tail of the young bird is not as prominent as in the adult. Many nest in New Jersey in areas where proper habitat still exists, primarily deep deciduous forests. In early autumn they begin a spectacular migration southward, some going as far as South America. During this time huge concentrations of these hawks can be seen along the mountain and coastal flyways of our state.
Their diet consists of a wide variety of prey animals including small mammals, snakes, frogs and toads, grasshoppers and caterpillars. Red-shouldered Hawks are medium-sized slender buteos, larger than Broad-wings but smaller than Red-tails.
Their backs are brown, flecked with white, and their shoulders are rufous. Immature birds have brown teardrop-shaped streaks on their white breasts; adults have pale robin-red underparts. Red-shouldered Hawks inhabit low, wet, open woodlands usually near a river, stream or swamp. They prey upon the wide variety of animal life found there: small mammals, frogs, snakes, lizards, insects and birds. Some Red-shoulders remain resident in New Jersey year round, but most migrate southward as winter approaches.
They were once common here, but loss of their preferred habitat and other factors not yet clearly identified have reduced their numbers. At present they are considered endangered in the state. These buteos are often seen soaring in wide circles or perched conspicuously in trees along roadsides. They are dark brown above, white to cinnamon below, and usually have a band of dark streaks across the belly.
Immature birds are similar to adults in plumage except for their tails — the young have brown tails for their first year. When they molt, these brown feathers are replaced by the characteristic red of the species. They prefer a habitat of fields and pastures mixed with open woodlands. Their large stick nests are usually built in the tallest available tree. From one to three young are raised each year. The Rough-legged Hawk breeds in the far north and occurs in New Jersey only as a rare winter visitor.
Like many northern species, it is protected from the cold by feathers that cover even its legs and toes. Plumage color varies greatly in this species from light to very dark melanistic individuals. All have a conspicuous white rump patch and a wide, dark band at the tip of the tail.
Birds of open country and graceful soarers, Rough-legs can be distinguished from other buteos in flight by their longer wings and tails.
They have a habit of hovering in one spot, as Kestrels and Ospreys do. Both species regularly migrate through the state and Bald Eagles winter and breed here. Our national emblem, the Bald Eagle is familiar to nearly everyone. The adult bird, with its snowy white head and tail and contrasting dark brown body, is unmistakable.
The young bird is an overall brown color for several years before its head and tail become pure white; for this reason it can be mistaken for a Golden Eagle. It feeds primarily on fish and waterfowl, which it catches alive, but will readily eat carrion when available. Although a well-known symbol, the Bald Eagle was once rarely seen in our state. During the mid 20th century, its population across North America drastically declined, primarily due to DDT poisoning and loss of nesting habitat.
Measurements of red-tailed hawk flight suggest he travels at between 20 and 40 miles per hour, according to AvianWeb. The peregrine falcon is a bit faster at 60 miles per hour. Hawks achieve a more spectacular speed when they swoop down to catch prey, which they can spot from a distance of feet.
The red-tailed hawk dives at a speed of at least miles per hour. The peregrine falcon can achieve a speed of miles per hour.
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