Alright, let’s talk about them Utah hawks, you know, the big birds that fly around. I see ’em sometimes when I’m out in the yard, circling up high. They’re somethin’ else, alright.
Now, I ain’t no fancy bird expert, mind you. I just call ’em like I see ’em. Some are big, some are small, some are kinda reddish, others are brown. It ain’t rocket science, ya know? You just gotta look.
One thing’s for sure, them hawks, they like to eat. I seen ’em swoop down and snatch up a mouse faster than you can blink. They eat other stuff too, I reckon. Little critters, prolly snakes and such. Gotta fill their bellies somehow, right? They ain’t eatin’ no corn on the cob, that’s for sure.
- Big ones
- Small ones
- Reddish ones
- Brown ones
How do you tell ’em apart? Well, like I said, some are bigger, some are smaller. And the colors, that’s a big giveaway. Some got them red tails, real pretty like. Others are just plain brown, nothin’ fancy. And then there’s the markings, little spots and stripes and such. You gotta pay attention, though. They fly fast.
Where do they live? All over, I guess. I see ’em in the fields, in the mountains, even near the towns sometimes. They like them open spaces, I think. Places where they can see what’s goin’ on. They gotta keep an eye out for food, and for trouble, too.
Identifying Utah Hawks ain’t always easy, but it ain’t impossible neither. You just gotta look close. Size is a good place to start. Some of them hawks are real big, like, almost as big as a chicken hawk. Others are smaller, more like a pigeon, but bigger, of course. And meaner looking, too.
Then there’s the colors. Like I said, some got them red tails, them’s the Red-tailed Hawks, I think. Easy to remember, right? Then there’s the Cooper’s Hawks, they’re kinda grayish-brown, and they got long tails. And the Sharp-shinned Hawks, they’re smaller, and they look a lot like the Cooper’s Hawks, but they ain’t. Confusin’, I know.
And don’t forget about the markings. Some hawks got stripes on their chests, some got spots on their wings, and some got nothin’ at all. You just gotta look real close, and maybe bring some binoculars if your eyes ain’t so good no more, like mine.
And what about what they eat? Well, they eat all sorts of things. Mice, voles, rabbits, snakes, lizards, even other birds. They ain’t picky, them hawks. They’ll eat whatever they can catch. They are hunters, gotta do what they gotta do. I seen one with a snake once, it was somethin’ else I tell you. Big old snake, just danglin’ from its claws.
So, if you’re out and about in Utah, and you see a hawk, take a good look. See if you can figure out what kind it is. It ain’t easy, but it’s kinda fun. And who knows, maybe you’ll learn somethin’ new. I always say, learning new things keeps you young, even if your bones are old and creaky like mine. And remember, them hawks are important, they keep the critters in check so we ain’t over run with mice and such. So we gotta appreciate ’em, even if they do steal a chicken every now and then.
So, that’s all I know about them Utah hawks. Like I said, I ain’t no expert, just a woman who’s seen a few things in her time. But if you want to learn more, you can always go ask someone who knows more than me. Or just go outside and look around. Them hawks are out there, waitin’ to be seen.
Tags: [Utah Hawks, Hawk Identification, Bird Watching, Utah Wildlife, Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Bird Diet, Hawk Habitats]
