These hawks are described as having a typical hawk shape and adults have steel blue feathers on their back and wings, and have warm red feathers covering their bellies. They are native to northern America and classified by IUCN as least concern, with a note of an increasing population. Cooper’s Hawks are classified as a medium size hawk, they are similar in size to a crow and the females are usually much bigger than the males. Some hawks still stay in Wisconsin over the winter in the southern region of the state, but it is not common.ĭon’t try to listen out for this hawk, they are known for being silent. To see one nesting, July and August are the best months and to see its migration, September is the best month. These hawks are permanent summer residents in Wisconsin before they migrate south for the winter. Some Sharp-Shinned Hawks have been spotted state-wide but they are much more common in the northern half of the state. The best place to try and spot this hawk in Wisconsin is in coniferous wetlands or forests in the northern region of the state. They raise their young together, males catching prey when the hatchling is first born. The Sharp-Shinned Hawk has two distinct calls, one that is said to sound like ‘kik-kik-kik-kik’ and the other is a shrill squeal.Ī male and a female can often be seen flying overhead in a circular motion as a show of courtship before mating. Dense forests act as this hawk’s home and it makes its nest on low baring trees. Juvenile Sharp-Shinned Hawks are covered in brown feathers and some have white underbelly feathers. Slate-coloured feathers cover the hawk’s wings and back and it has pale orange feathers covering its breast. IUCN has classified the conservation status of this hawk to be least concern. The Sharp-Shinned Hawk is the smallest know species of hawk in the USA, the males are smaller than females, the females are approximately one-third larger than males. Since we’ve talked about Wisconsin’s climate and bird population, you may be thinking you want to visit to try to spot some hawks for yourself.īut which types of hawks should you look for and how will you know when and where to spot them?īelow I’ve compiled information of each of the eight species of hawk in Wisconsin and when is the best time to try and see them. It also has a variety of state forests and wildlife areas that bring the total number of state park units to 66.Ĭombined, all of Wisconsin’s state parks bring an annual average of 14 million visitors. This is largely due to it being a mid-western state and it means that the state has warm summers and cold winters with noticeable seasonal changes. Wisconsin has a continental climate and is described as a humid state. This is called the ‘Wisconsin All-Bird Conservation Plan’. The state has a large number of protected birds and they have a conservation plan to help protect the 116 priority bird species. The rarest hawk in the state is the Swainson’s Hawk as it only has a small breeding area within Wisconsin. The hawks that you are most likely to be able to see in Wisconsin are the Red-Tailed Hawk and the Red-Shouldered Hawk, being two of the most common hawks in the US. Wisconsin’s wildlife ranges from bison to white-tailed deer to grey wolves. It has a coastline on two famous lakes, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. Wisconsin, known as ‘America’s Dairyland’ for its famous cheese, also has a lot to offer in terms of wildlife and nature.
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