Birds of Prey in Florida: Identification, Nesting, and Conservation, Slides of Animal Biology

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Guide to

Resident Raptors

Thank you for visiting the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey.

This is your Guide through the property. This book contains information on

the raptor species who reside here and the exhibits found throughout the site.

What is a bird of prey?

Raptors include eagles, hawks, osprey, falcons, kites, owls and vultures. All raptors are predatory

birds that hunt and kill other animals. They use their long talons to seize and kill their prey. All

raptors have sharp, curved beaks that enable them to tear their prey. Keen vision and hearing,

combined with their formidable talons, beaks and excellent flying skills, make birds of prey fierce

hunters. Raptors are vital for maintaining the healthy populations of prey species, and are key

indicators of the health of our ecosystems.

Mississippi Kite

Ictinia mississippiensis Fast Facts : Mississippi Kites have a unique migration pattern, congregating in groups in the Florida panhandle in late summer. They then travel west along the Texas coast to South America, covering thousands of miles. Identification : Adult—14”; Falcon-like wings, broadest at the wrist, long flared tail. Their call is a high, thin whistle “pe-teew” or “pee-teeeer.” Dark gray above, paler below with pale gray head. Juveniles are heavily streaked brown and spotted with pale bands on tail. Diet : Insects, lizards, snakes. Nesting in Florida : They nest in the northern half of Florida in the spring and summer. Monogamous.

Shadow

Shadow arrived at the Clinic in August 2017. He had been rescued near Deland and treated originally at Florida Wild Veterinary Hospital. He had a severely injured right wing, and eventually part of that wing was amputated because of his injuries. Shadow is easy to spot as he is a bit darker then Dancer, and has a few white feathers on his back.

Dancer

Dancer was admitted in 1993 missing his right wing. When excited, he flaps his remaining wing, causing him to “dance” in circles. Mealworms are one of Dancer’s favorite foods. Dancer Shadow

Cooper’s Hawk

Accipiter cooperii Fast Facts: This medium-sized accipiter is a common sight at home bird feeders across the country, swooping in to nab an unwary songbird. Identification: Adult— 16 - 20”; Medium-size with short rounded wings, long tail and red eyes. Their alarm call is a loud “ cack cack cack .” Diet: Small to medium-sized birds and small mammals. Habitat: Open deciduous or mixed woodlands. Some migrate south. Nesting in Florida : Solitary nester, nests April through July. Monogamous.

Penrod

Penrod was admitted to the Center in 2005. He lost the tip of his right wing as a nestling and was later found in a bush as a fledgling unable to fly. Apparently his parents had been feeding him.

DID YOU KNOW? Cooper’s Hawks rely heavily on surprise

attacks when hunting. They hunt prey using cover or by

zigzagging quickly through dense vegetation.

Penrod

Short-tailed Hawk

Buteo Brachyurus Fast Facts : One of the smallest Buteos in Florida. Identification : Adult— 15 - 17”; The Short-tailed Hawk is seen in two color forms and is easily recognized in flight because it is the only Florida hawk whose underside is all white or all dark. Diet : Preys on birds, which is rare in Buteos. Often seen kiting high overhead in the wind. Habitat : Found on the peninsula of Florida and in Central and South America but rare in Florida. Nesting in Florida : March through May. Monogamous.

Newman Newman was found hanging from a barbed wire fence in Kissimmee, Florida in

2010. His injuries caused severe tissue and tendon damage to the right wing, making him non-releasable. After multiple surgeries at Winter Park Vet Hospital and special bandaging to encourage skin growth, he was placed with our permanent birds.

Red-shouldered Hawk

Buteo lineatus Fast Facts : Most common hawk found in Florida. Identification : Adult—19"; red shoulders, reddish barred under parts, striped tail and under wings. Permanent resident of this area; very vocal—loud, distinctive calls in rapid succession. Diet : Mammals, lizards, snakes, frogs and insects. Habitat : Most hardwood forests, mixed pine, broadleaf woodlands, urban areas, and wetlands. Nesting in Florida : January through May. Monogamous.

Sorren He arrived at the Center in 2015 as an immature bird with a fractured left wing as well as

trauma to his left eye. Sorren's ability to fly is limited, therefore he is not releasable to the wild. His name is a shortened version of the community of Sorrento, Florida, in which he was found. Newman Sorren

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura Fast Facts : Currently New World vultures are classified as birds of prey, although DNA tests show they are closely related to the stork family. The most widespread vulture in North America, the Turkey Vulture is sometimes referred to as a “Buzzard”. Identification : The Turkey Vulture has brown feathers, grey under - wings, and a red head like a turkey. Soaring Turkey Vultures hold their wings above their backs in a shallow V shape. Diet : Carrion or road kill is a staple for vultures. Turkey vultures are unique among vultures in that they find carrion by smell as well as by sight. When threatened, they defend themselves by vomiting. Habitat : Florida has two populations of Turkey Vultures: year - round and migrants from the northern states. Nesting in Florida: January through June. Nests in low under brush or Palmettos. Monogamous.

Charlemagne

Charlemagne was admitted to the Center in 1989 after being hit by a car. The accident resulted in a fractured right wing and a missing toe. She shares her home with two of our hawks, Sorren and Newman. Charlemagne laid her first egg in 2005.

Mortimer

Mortimer was brought to the center in 1988 with a fractured left wing and toe, the result of a car collision. Mortimer shares her home with our Caracaras. In the wild they are often found together on the side of the road eating carrion. Mortimer surprised Center staff in 2006 when “he” laid an egg. Charlemagne

Black Vulture

Coragyps atratus Fast Facts : The gregarious Black Vulture roosts, feeds and soars in groups, often mixed with Turkey Vultures. Vultures are often called “nature’s clean up crew” and play an indispensable role in preventing the spread of disease by eating dead animals. The most common cause of injuries is collisions with cars. Identification : Adult—25” to 26”; black body and small head. The Black Vulture has a short tail and almost featherless grey head. Diet : Carrion — road kill is a staple for vultures. Black Vultures will bully a Turkey Vulture away from a carcass. Habitat : Throughout the southeast. Monogamous. Nesting in Florida: January through June. Nests in low underbrush (such as Palmettos).

Jeff

Jeff was admitted to Audubon in 1995 with a fractured left shoulder and right leg after being hit by a car. After her treatment, her flight was still limited and one leg is shorter than the other. Black Vultures are normally silent but can make soft “woof” and sneezing sounds. After 13 years at the center, Jeff laid an egg. Jeff

DID YOU KNOW? Based on plumage, most male and female raptors look the same. Sex can often

be determined by size, females are larger. However, the most accurate way to tell is a DNA test.

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus Fast Facts : This is the world’s fastest animal: it can dive or drop or “stoop” from the sky at speeds over 200 miles per hour. Identification : Adult—16”-20”, pointed wings, short tail and “dark sideburns”. Diet: Mainly medium-size birds caught from high above in spectacular stoops. Habitat: Migrates following the Atlantic flyway and down along Florida’s coastline in the fall on their way south. Nesting in Florida: Does not nest in Florida. Monogamous.

Amelia

Amelia was found badly injured on a cruise ship in the Atlantic during her first migration south in the fall of 2015. This young Peregrine Falcon was brought to shore in the Melbourne area and transported to the Center for care. She suffered from starvation and spinal trauma, causing paralysis. With extensive treatment and rehabilitation, she has been able to regain some of her movements but remains permanently disabled and non- releasable. Amelia

DID YOU KNOW? A flyway is an aerial route that birds use when migrating north or south.

Peregrines can breed in Alaska and arctic regions of Canada as well as mountainous regions of the

western United States. These birds wander widely after nesting season, following prey along the west

and east coast, as far as southern South America utilizing the Pacific and Atlantic Flyways.

Bald Eagles Bogie

Hali

Hali was rescued as a two-year-old in Sarasota in 2013. She was tangled in barbed wire, had tissue trauma, bone exposure and had lost circulation at the tip of her right wing. She was transferred to the Center for care and it was determined partial wing amputation was necessary. Eagles take five years to develop their mature plumage. Young eagles have a dark beak and brown eyes which gradually turn yellow and their brown head and tail feathers molt into white.

Tallulah

Tallulah was rescued by our staff in 2013 after she was injured in a territory fight with another eagle in Deltona, Fl. She suffered many puncture wounds and a compound fracture of the metacarpals, requiring amputation at the wrist joint. Tallulah has an interesting history. In 1998 as a young bird still in the nest, she was banded in Florida by US Fish and Wildlife and was equipped with a transmitter as part of a research project. When she was rescued she was still wearing the backpack without the transmitter. During her 15 years in the wild, she could have produced as many as 20 eaglets. Tallulah Hali, immature

Osprey Pandion haliaetus Fast Facts: Osprey are one of the few raptors with a worldwide distribution. Florida contains the largest population in the United States. Fish-catching specialists, ospreys plunges into the water feet first. Nickname is “fish hawk”. Identification: Adult—24"; eye-stripe; white head and under-parts; brown upperparts. Females have a dark 'necklace' across chest. Diet: Fish. Habitat: Widely distributed: inland lakes and coastal, urban areas. Nesting in Florida: March through July in live or dead trees, as well as man-made structures including cell towers, utility poles and channel markers. Monogamous.

Smedley

Smedley was admitted to Audubon on June 7, 1998, as a nestling who fell from his nest and suffered a broken right wing. He has been an Audubon Ambassador and was adopted by the University of North Florida as the school mas- cot.

Bailey

Bailey was brought to the Center in November 2017, from Hog Island, Maine, where she was hatched ina nest that has a webcam on it. Bailey sustained a fractured right wing in the nest by a Great Horned Owl, but also survived a swarm of bees and a Bald Eagle attack. Smedley Bailey

Barred Owl

Strix varia Fast Facts: Barred Owls are noted for their "who-cooks-for-you-all" call. Common in Florida and prefer to live near water. Crepuscular and nocturnal. Identification: Adult—20"; dark eyes; round face; barred plumage on belly; no ear tufts. Diet: Small mammals, amphibians, reptiles and fish. Habitat: Rivers, wetlands, urban areas. Nesting in Florida: February through June; nests in natural cavities. Monogamous.

Hitch

Hitch was found in December of 2009 as an adult. Rescuers observed him flying in and out of an open U-Haul truck in St. Cloud, FL. He suffered from a fracture to the left wing. Although the fracture healed, his ability to fly is not sufficient to survive in the wild.

Fil

Fil arrived at the Center in 2007 after being hit by a car. Several of the primary feathers (those used for flight) on her left wing did not grow back, leaving her with limited flight and is now non-releasable. Fil Hitch

DID YOU KNOW? Diurnal birds are most active during the

daylight hours. Crepuscular birds are active at dusk and

dawn. Nocturnal birds are most active at night.

Eastern Screech Owl

Megascops asio Fast Facts: Smallest owl with ear tufts in the eastern United States. Identification : Adult—7”: There are 3 different colors: red, brown and gray morph; yellow, hazel or green eyes and pale beak.. Nocturnal, normally spends most of the day roosting in trees. Diet: Small rodents, amphibians and insects. Habitat: Wooded areas, forest, swamps, orchards, parks, suburban areas. Nesting in Florida: February through July. Cavity nesters but will use man-made nest boxes when natural nesting sites are unavailable. Monogamous. There are several owls in the Screech Owl enclosure. We have two of the three colors morphs represented. Each owl has been determined to be non-releasable due to a variety of injuries. Can you find us? We like to hide.

Burrowing Owl

Athene cunicularia Fast Facts: This is a Species of Special Concern in Florida due to their declining populations. This is largely a result of habitat destruction, causing the loss of the underground tunnels or “burrows” they call home. Diurnal. Identification : Adult—9”; Small, brown, ground owl, short tail, long-legged. Bright yellow eyes. Diet: Insects and rodents. Habitat: Can be seen in daylight hours in open, upland habitat. Nesting in Florida:. March through July. This owl makes its nest by digging with its feet or using abandoned Gopher Tortoise burrows. Sometimes they line burrows with dried cattle or horse droppings at the entrance to deter predators. They are communal nesters. Monogamous.

Terra

Terra was seen wandering around on the ground at the Disney Wilderness Preserve and admitted to the Center in the summer of 2012. She was found with a badly fractured left wing that did not heal properly and a left hip fracture. Terra

Audubon Ambassador “Porch Birds”

Tony, Eastern Screech Owl

Tony, a brown-phase, was rescued after he fell from his nest in May of 2002. He had severe trauma to both eyes. After several weeks of treatment, the staff determined that he would never regain the use of the left eye lid and therefore it was surgically closed. Over the years he has developed cataracts, further inhibiting his sight. Since owls depend on their excellent eyesight to hunt for food, Tony would not be able to survive in the wild.

Gopher, Burrowing Owl

Gopher was brought to us from Kenansville in Osceola County in 2015. He had a fractured right elbow, fractured coracoid and luxated left shoulder, possibly caused by a barbed wire fence above the burrow. He was non-releasable but has joined the Center’s other education birds. Tony Gopher

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius Fast Facts: Smallest and most common of the falcons in Florida. American Kestrels and Crested Caracaras are the only two species of falcon that live year round in Florida. Often seen perched on telephone poles and electric wires. Identification: Adult—9”, One of the few raptor species that the two sexes look physically different. Males have russet back and tail, blue-gray wings. Females have brown spotted back and striped tail. Both have double black stripes, called malar lines, on white face. Diet: Birds, small mammals, reptiles, insects and amphibians. Habitat: Borders of woodlands, open fields, pastures with scattered trees, and highways. Nesting in Florida : Mid March through early June. Monogamous.

Lance

Lance came to us in January 2016 after being kept by a human as a pet when he was young. Unfortunately, it was found that he had a fractured wing and pelvis which left him unable to properly thrive in the wild. This pelvis injury results in Lance’s tail feathers tucking under instead of in line with the rest of his spine.

Susie

Susie was rescued and brought to the Center in November 2017. She was a young bird that had a severely fractured wing and was underweight. The Clinic staff was able to get her weight up to a healthy level, but realized quickly her wouldn’t heal properly. She was found to have a very calm demeanor and was trained to be a bird ambassador in early 2018. Audubon Ambassador “Porch Birds” Lance (^) Susie