Even in forests, they’re hard to catch, preferring to stay hidden from the eyes. You’ll rarely catch sight of them around your backyard, as the northern goshawk mostly stays away from civilization. Their heads are dark, and their eyes have a distinctive deep red color, making the bird easy to identify. Northern goshawks have light gray underbodies and bluish-gray upper bodies. They’re agile, and their moves often bring their flight close to the ground. Not only are these birds fast flyers, but they’re acrobatic, too, moving with the accipiter’s typical “flap-flap-guide” pattern. Because they fly so quickly, they easily sneak up on and attack songbirds and other small birds, so if you do happen to notice a member of this species fluttering about in your yard, put the feeder away for about two weeks or so. If you’re a backyard bird watcher, you’ll be disappointed to learn you don’t want to see one of Cooper’s hawks around your bird feeders. Blue-gray bodies, reddish-barred underparts, and dark banded tails are easy identifiers of this species. If you find yourself in Iowa, you’ll find the Cooper’s hawk species spending time near the edges of fields and inside the woods. ![]() While it winters in Argentina, however, this hawk is known to feed on nomadic dragonflies. You’ll find these birds hunting for small mammals and reptiles during the summertime and large insects during other seasons. This bird’s diet varies depending on the season. When September comes around, they make the nearly 6,000-mile journey south to Argentina. If you’re around during colder months of the year, though, you probably won’t have much luck seeing this species. They arrive there in the springtime and begin breeding when summer rolls around. If you find yourself in Iowa during the spring or summertime, you’ll likely see this bird of prey. Sitting on the long list of hawks that look similar to the red-tailed species are Swainson’s hawks, and your best chance at identifying these birds is by looking for the light patch of feathers on their chins. You’ll recognize these medium-sized birds by their checkered wings, red-striped chests, and black tails with skinny white stripes. Though they rarely frequent a backyard bird feeder, you may catch sight of them around suburban areas they’ll likely be searching for squirrels to prey on. Red-Shouldered Hawkīecause red-shouldered hawks spend most of their time in the forest, they don’t appear around backyards frequently, which is good news for the small birds that visit your bird feeder! These hawks love the woods because it provides the food they need and the large space gives them the chance to take their time hunting for small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds to eat. These species breed and nest around the agricultural land that covers 60 percent of the state, and here, we’ll take a closer look at each of their behaviors and characteristics. ![]() ![]() Ten species of hawks can be found in Iowa, and considering the United States has only 25 species total, we’d like to believe the Hawkeye State has a pretty large hawk population. ![]() The state also hosts a number of birds of prey, like eagles, hawks, and owls, which is great news for the avid birdwatcher. Thanks to its diverse forest areas, a variety of wild animals including mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and insects have no problem calling Iowa home.
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