Red Tailed Hawk Nesting in Susquehanna County

We often observe the Red Tailed Hawks soaring or perched above open areas near the High Point Preserve and the Greenwood Sanctuary.  This Spring a pair of Red Tailed Hawks have been observed constructing a nest site and, as the images in this article show, are caring for at least one young hawk.

We plan to monitor from a distance the progress of this raptor family.  In the next photo, if you look closely, you can see the fuzzy white head of a chick under the breast feathers of the mother hawk.  Raptors play a key role in the health and balance of the wildlife in our local environment.

For more information on raptors in Pennsylvania, here are two great sources:

Hawk Mountain, 1700 Hawk Mountain Rd, Kempton, PA 19529, about a 2 hour drive south of Montrose, PA, is a great place to learn about raptors and see them in person. They have trails and lookouts which offer beautiful scenery and access to nature. Hawk Mountain is a famous location for observing migrating hawks in the Fall.  Hoping the Hawk Mountain will re-open in the Fall after the current restrictions on social gathering are relaxed.

https://www.hawkmountain.org/raptors/red-tailed-hawk

For information on Hawks in PA – This link to a wildlife note covers 11 Pennsylvania hawks: the northern goshawk, sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, red-tailed, red-shouldered, broad-winged and rough-legged hawks, northern harrier, peregrine falcon, merlin and American kestrel.

https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Education/WildlifeNotesIndex/Documents/raptors.pdf