Illinois’ Hawks

Migration is in full swing for hawk species in North America.  Many hawk species leave North America to spend the winter in Central America or South America.  October thermals, updrafts created by the sun warming the earth, provide a boost for hawks.  In northern Illinois, we can observe about sixteen species of raptors including eight hawks.

Depending on the species and their breeding locations, hawks migrate from late summer in Arctic regions through autumn and early winter in the midwestern United States.  Hawks leaving breeding grounds in Arctic regions in late August arrive in Illinois six to eight weeks later after a journey of 2,000 miles or more.  Some will spend the winter here, and others will join resident hawks of Illinois and continue heading south for the winter.

There are eight species of hawks found in Illinois throughout the year.  The most common is the red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, which is seen year-round soaring over fields or open areas hunting for prey.  Another common species is the sharp-shinned hawk, Accipiter striatus, the smallest hawk in North America.  They breed in northern Canada and winter in Central America and are notorious for raiding backyard bird feeders.  Cooper’s hawk, Accipiter cooperii, feeds exclusively on other birds in forests and woodlands.  It is hard to tell apart from the sharp-shinned hawk, but is generally larger.  Another year-round resident of forested areas is the red-shouldered hawk, Buteo lineatus.  Populations have been increasing over the last fifty years, despite the clearing of forested lands, a constant threat to the species.

The remaining four species are less well known due to remote habitat or because they are only here during migration.  The broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus, breeds in deciduous forests near wetlands.  There is a small population breeding in Illinois, but it is usually observed during migration.  Swainson’s Hawk, Buteo swainsoni, also has a small breeding population in far northwest Illinois.  This bird has the longest migration  route, flying from breeding grounds in the northern United States to winter at the far southern tip of South America.  Rough-legged hawks, Buteo lagopus, are the only hawks in North America with feathers extending over their legs all the way to their toes.  They breed in the northern Arctic and winter in our area.  Northern goshawk, Accipiter gentilis, is rare in Illinois, requiring large forests with very high nest sites.  It is a fierce protector of its young, attacking any animal, including humans, who comes near the nest.

Three well-known observation sites in our area provide an exciting opportunity to get out to see many of these birds, as well as other migrating species including ospreys, eagles, falcons, butterflies, cranes and dragonflies.  Volunteers record their observations daily, at each of these sites, throughout the migration season which continues into early November.  Illinois Beach State Park, near Lake Michigan and the Illinois-Wisconsin state line, averages over 5,000 raptors observed every year.  Fort Sheridan, a little farther south along the Lake Michigan shoreline, is where we are learning about how larger bodies of water affect migration patterns.  And in DuPage County, the Greene Valley Forest Preserve scenic overlook is located on the highest point open to the public.  From here, observers can see several miles on clear days over urban areas, fields and the DuPage River valley.

For more information on each of these sites, take a look at:

Greene Valley: https://www.dupageforest.org/catching-nature/greene-valley-hawkwatch

Fort Sheridan Hawkwatch on Facebook

Illinois Beach State Park: https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/parks/pages/adelinejaygeo-karisillinoisbeach.aspx