![]() They scan the open waters below and once the food is spotted, hover over the prey, then dive feet-first to grab the fish. Ospreys eat fish, and they are excellent anglers. Tagged Osprey has been found as far away as Venezuela, Colombia, and the Amazon River Basin.Ī white head with a bold, brown stripe that starts behind the eye, a large brown body, and a dark tail mark this bird. ![]() The Osprey is a seasonal visitor to North Carolina, found all along the Atlantic Coast from Cape May to Sandy Hook, North Carolina Bay, the North Carolina River, and other locations with good water sources, both fresh and salt.Īlso known as Fish Hawk, Sea Hawk, and River Hawk, Ospreys migrate up from South America and begin their return trip in Fall. While it’s not considered a true hawk, this raptor’s presence in North Carolina puts it on this list, and which we’re going to tackle first. Pandionidae has only one member – the fish-eating Osprey. While they will appear in another of our articles, a good example of morphs is the Eastern Screech Owl, which comes in three morphs – brown, grey, and red. Light morphs are paler than “normal” birds. Morphs are typically lighter or darker versions of the normal feather hue.Ī dark morph Rough-legged hawk looks just like the field guide bird but is darker overall. This color difference is called a “morph”. While most raptors have a specific color to their feathers, Buteo hawks can have variations in that overall plumage. While Buteos are called “hawks” here in the US and Canada, they are known as “buzzards” throughout the rest of the world. While Falcons are also accipiters, they are not hawks and will be covered in another one of our articles.īuteos are large raptors with short, wide tails, broad wings, and heavy, solid bodies. Types of HawksĪccipiters are fast-moving birds with short, broad, rounded wings and long tails that make it easy for them to maneuver during flight. While Cooper’s Hawks are larger overall than the Sharp-shinned Hawk, a male Cooper’s Hawk can be the same size as a Sharp-shinned female.įor other birdwatching in North Carolina see our articles on Backyard Birds in North Carolina, Owls in North Carolina, Ducks in North Carolina, and Woodpeckers in North Carolina. This can make determining what you’re viewing problematic with some species, like the Coopers and Sharp-shinned. Something to note: when identifying raptors, keep in mind that females are much larger than males. The hawks found in North Carolina are broken down into three separate families: Accipiters, Buteos, and Pandionidae. Many of the hawks seen in North Carolina are seasonal visitors. Owls are primarily nocturnal and hunt mostly at night. They are also referred to as Raptors, from the Latin “raptare” – to seize and carry off.Īll raptors except owls are diurnal, meaning that they hunt during the day. Hawks are also known as Birds of Prey, a group consisting of hawks, eagles, falcons, owls, condors, and vultures. There are 8 species of true hawks found in the Tar Heel State, but while the Osprey is not a true hawk, they are part of the broader Accipiter family, so adding them makes 9 Hawks in North Carolina.
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