April 27, 2006

Two red-shouldered hawks have bucked the trend of their species, which mostly prefer wet woodlands, and set up housekeeping in this burr oak tree on Limestone Street. One of the hawk’s tails can be seen in the upper left of the nest.

By Diane Chiddister

In some ways, the new couple on Limestone Street are just the sort of new residents that Yellow Springs seeks. They’re excellent parents, vocal in their opinions and not afraid to step out of the mainstream.

But the twosome won’t be contributing to the local economy by paying property taxes, sending their children to public school or having dinner at the Winds.

Rather, when they get hungry they’ll dine on mice, insects and the occasional snake.

The new couple consists of a male and female red-shouldered hawk, which have set up housekeeping high up in a burr oak tree on Limestone Street on the grounds of Mills Lawn School.

Local bird enthusiasts say it’s the first time in memory that this species of hawk has nested in town.

“It’s unusual for red-shoulders to come right up here in a heavily populated area,” said Betty Ross, the director of the Glen Helen Raptor Center. “It’s a surprise to me.”

Red-shouldered hawks are considered wet woodland birds, and many reside in Glen Helen, where, Ross said, she daily hears their harsh “keer-keer-keer” cry.

But in recent years development has forced the hawks to expand their nesting area, and, Ross said, several hawk couples have nested in Cincinnati near people’s homes and, in one case, on a barbecue grill.

The red-shouldered species is considered one of the most beautiful of hawks, according to birdnature.com. The hawk, a large bird with a body length of 16 to 24 inches, has a brown head, a reddish breast and a pale belly with reddish bars, along with a long dark tail with white stripes, the Web site says. Because they tend to stay in a location year-round, the hawks are also known as winter falcons.

About a month ago, Ross said, Limestone Street residents notified her about the new birds, with one neighbor concerned that the birds might be in distress, since they make so much noise. But that’s normal red-shouldered hawk courting behavior, Ross said, and the noise will only get louder if the couple’s eggs hatch.

Red-shouldered hawks mate for life and are considered good parents, Ross said.

The Limestone Street hawks may have chosen their unorthodox nesting site because they’re young and inexperienced, Ross said, or they may have made a shrewd choice by picking a spot with little competition for mice, insects and small birds.

Whatever the reason, the birds can be seen taking turns sitting on the nest high above the Limestone Street entrance to Mills Lawn, with one of the pair brooding their eggs while the other forages for food.

Most of the time the female sits on the nest while the male flies around town looking for takeout rodents for dinner, Ross said. But like many moms of young offspring, the female can get antsy staying home all day, and when she’s ready for a break she starts shrieking, prompting dad to skedaddle home, said MJ Kalkis, who lives across the street.

Kalkis said she and other Limestone Street residents have been tracking the hawks since they appeared in town about a month ago.

“I’ve been watching them very carefully,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot.”

Among other things, Kalkis learned through Internet research that red-shouldered hawks are endangered and on a watch list in some states. And while they can live 15 to 20 years, the birds now tend to live an average of two years, due to pressures from development and habitat loss, she said.

Kalkis and several other neighbors observed the birds mating several weeks ago, and believe that the eggs must be ready to hatch soon. Typically, Ross said, the birds will lay three or four eggs, and the gestation period is about a month.

According to kaweahoaks.com, the parents feed their youngsters bits of meat for the first week, during which the young ones are quite helpless, but by the second week the small birds show “remarkable changes.” The baby birds are ready to leave the nest by the end of a month, the Web site reports.

Mills Lawn students are aware of the birds and have taken a keen interest in their activities, said Principal Christine Hatton.

Recently, the kids were treated to the astonishing sight of both birds swooping down to the ground, picking up a snake in tandem and flying through the air with the reptile still in their beaks, Hatton said.

“They thought that was very cool,” she said.

While the newcomers won’t be putting in an appearance at The Emporium, they might be observed gracefully swooping through the Yellow Springs sky.

“The flight of the red-shouldered hawk is slow, but steady and strong with a regular beat of the wings,” the Web site birdnature.com says. “They take delight in sailing in the air, where they float lightly and with scarcely a noticeable motion of the wings, often circling to a great height.”

Contact: dchiddister@ysnews.com