When most people think of the birds in their backyard,
they think of the Northern Cardinal or the
Mourning Dove.
A Northern Cardinal at a backyard bird feeder (photo: Gay Schroer)
When I think of
the birds that I see in or near my backyard I
think of the Barred Owl and the Red-tailed Hawk that frequent the big oak tree
in the neighbor’s yard. Songbirds
are the first birds that come to mind for most individuals, but I oftentimes
think of the predatory species found in and around my neck of the woods. The Saint Louis area is well populated
with various species of birds of prey.
To the surprise of many, they live in our very own neighborhoods.
Many bird of
prey species found in Saint Louis are not here by mistake. Rather, they are part of a successful
population coexisting with their human neighbors. We can find about 14 species of predatory birds in Saint Louis. Some of the most common species are the
Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Eastern Screech Owl, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk,
Red- shouldered Hawk and the American Kestrel.
A juvenile Cooper's Hawk perched on a neighboring fence (photo: Gay Schroer)
Other species are
only found in particular areas during certain times of year. Summertime sightings may include Mississippi Kites, Peregrine Falcons, and
Broad-Winged Hawks. Winter weather
brings in Sharp-Shinned Hawks, Northern Saw-whet Owls, and Bald Eagles.
A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk devouring a starling it has just caught in my backyard (photo: Gay Schroer)
Predatory birds
have found Saint Louis to be a nice place to call home. The Peregrine Falcons nesting atop the
AT&T building downtown, the Great-Horned Owls that live in
Forest Park, and all the other birds mentioned fill a niche that cannot be
occupied by any other organism. For
that, we should take the time to appreciate their beauty and roles in our
ecosystem. People often view predatory animals as “bad” or “scary,” but they
play a very important part in keeping prey species populations in check.
A fledgling Red-tailed Hawk rehabilitated and released by WBS (photo: Adam Triska)
To see some of
the birds of prey that may inhabit your neighborhood visit the World Bird
Sanctuary and become familiar with these local denizens. Your visit to WBS may help you to
identify that strange large bird that just whizzed past your window.
Submitted by Adam
Triska, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer
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