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Plant Talk

Inside The New York Botanical Garden

Red-tailed Hawks Building Nest at Garden

Posted in Wildlife on March 24 2009, by Plant Talk

Wayt Thomas is the Elizabeth G. Britton Curator of Botany in the Institute of Systematic Botany. Stella Sylva is Administrative Curator in the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium.

Photo by Tony Kirchgessner

For the past several weeks a pair of red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) has been building a nest on the Library building. Their nest is in a small triangular alcove near the top of the front face of the building on the east side (see photos)—they swoop by our office windows on their way to and from the nest.

Last year they started building a nest here but changed their mind and went elsewhere—Fordham University, according to Debbie Becker, who leads the Saturday morning bird walks at the Botanical Garden. This year the hawks seem to be serious. Two weeks ago they were engaged in a very active courtship display and mated several times a day. 


Photo by Wayt Thomas

Red-tailed hawk pairs are monogamous, with females (2–4.5 lbs.) larger than males (1.5–3 lbs). The adults have a dark brown back with a pale underbelly and a darker band across the belly; the tail is brick-red above and pinkish below. Our pair is unusual in that they are accompanied by a third hawk—rarely, a second female may help tend the nest and feed the young. This immature bird is an offspring of the pair’s from last year. If everything proceeds according to what we know about these hawks, 1 to 3 eggs will be laid in late March or April—we’ll keep you posted.


Photo by Wayt Thomas

Red-tailed hawks usually feed on small mammals or birds and their preferred habitat is a mix of forest and open areas, such as we have here on the Garden grounds. Their diet consists primarily of squirrels, pigeons, small birds, and rabbits. We don’t know if they are part of the Garden’s Integrated Pest Management plan, but there are fewer squirrels than usual in front of the Library building.

Comments

keewee said:

Pest control at it’s best., and works cheap too.

Kate said:

Ah! How cool!

Martin said:

Perhaps this ‘extended’ family has 2 penthouses: one at Fordham and the upper class place there at the Garden!

Chris Lyons said:

So THIS is how you pay Fordham back for that whole business with the radio tower–you stole our hawks!!!!! :o

It’s easy to identify Rose, the female of the pair that nested at Fordham for four straight seasons–she’s got a banded leg.

I’ve always known they considered Bronx Park part of their territory–they probably drove off the pair that nested there previously. They may have been considering this pediment last year, but they already had a nest on a similar pediment on Collins Hall on the campus. It’s fascinating they’ve decided to move housekeeping, assuming it is the same pair.

But you still stole our hawks. ;)

Rob Jett said:

Perhaps the deceased Red-tailed Hawk that I found in the garden during the Christmas Bird Count was one of the previous pair:

http://citybirder.blogspot.com/2008/12/predator-as-prey.html

Wayt Thomas said:

Maybe the hawks know that Fordham and the Garden signed an agreement last year for student training – that means they could nest at the Garden and still be Forham hawks, or vice-versa.

Janet Owen said:

Did the hawks have success? Are there any little ones?

JA said:

Heeeyyy Stellita.

Its so beautiful. I hope to have other pictures about the hawks!!!!
Thanks for the comments in my document.

Kisses and Light!!!!

Postdata: si pueden adquirir una cámara para poner en el nido sería genial. Aunque tambien resultaria buenisimo darle unas clases de producción de cine al halcón para que haga unas tomas aéreas bien interesantes.

Donegal Browne said:

Is the Hawk in the above photograph one of the Red-tails building in the NYBG? If it is, it isn’t Hawkeye or Rose as she/he is much too young. Those light eyes belong to a two or three year old Red-tail. Perhaps an adult who fledged off the pediment at Collins Hall and liked the similar digs on the Library Building?

Nora Huber said:

My daughter graduated from Fordham – we are thrilled to think that the hawks like it too! I wish they would come to Columbus and eat some of our squirrels…my Welsh Corgi catches squirrels and presents them to me!