Two dark morph Red-tailed Hawks join the project!
Since our inaugural season in 2020, I have been fortunate enough to experience some truly incredible field seasons here in the straits working with migratory raptors. The ending of one season leaves only anticipation and excitement as I wait for the next. Migration here is incredible to say the least, and it is especially remarkable if your study species happens to be the Red-tailed Hawk. The straits document the largest known concentration for this species during spring migration and if you time it right you can witness this spectacle as thousands of red-tails make their way through the straits every spring journeying North to their breeding grounds.
The first dark morph “Reno” was captured at our site on April 4th. The picture on the right shows the attached GPS transmitter.
If you are lucky enough, you also might get the chance to see a dark morph Red-tailed Hawk migrating through. Dark morphs are uncommon, especially in eastern North America where they are mostly detected during the winter months. It has been debated on where these dark morphs breed and to which population they belong. My collaborators with the Red-tailed Hawk project are hoping to help answer that question. Now, catching adult red-tails is no easy feat, and capturing a dark morph is almost like catching a unicorn, due to the relatively low number of individuals observed.
Our 2nd dark morph Red-tailed Hawk was captured on April 12th.
Well, as you might have guessed by the title, we were able to catch not one, but two dark morphs in a 12-day period. You could essentially say this is equivalent to winning the red-tail lottery. Both birds were adults, and both were outfitted with GPS transmitters. These birds will not only aid my research, which aims to fill in knowledge gaps on migratory routes and space use for this population here in the great lakes, but it will also help us understand where dark morphs fit in the big picture. Needless to say, we can’t wait to find out!
