With temperatures constantly being over 100ºF (37.8ºC) the entire month of August — except for one 99-degree (37.2-degree) day — I have noticed that the raptors in our area have been spending more time in the shade. Even some vultures have taken breaks on the ground and under a large tree behind our backyard.
This week, I have photographed both Red-Shouldered Hawks (Buteo lineatus) and Cooper’s Hawks (Astur cooperii) around our backyard. It’s nice to see them close by and observe that the latter is often slightly smaller and more slender than the former, not to mention the distinct back feather colors. Just on Sunday, I captured the two images here.
In the featured image, you see two clear signs a hawk uses to cool off: a raised leg and an open beak. That open-beak panting is a genuine cooling strategy — much like a dog does, birds lose heat by evaporating moisture from the mouth and throat when the air itself offers no relief.
Cooper’s Hawks earn that heat-worn look honestly, and not just from the Texas summer. These woodland hunters are built for speed, threading full-tilt through dense branches to ambush songbirds in flight — a hunting style so punishing that researchers who examined more than 300 Cooper’s Hawk skeletons found healed fractures in the chest bones, the wishbone mostly, in nearly a quarter of them. Every meal, it seems, comes with a bit of built-in risk.
The other image, with the hawk on the fence, was photographed right outside our bedroom window. With only the window panes separating us, the hawk was ok with my being so close. It was as if it knew I couldn’t get to it, even if I tried. It was no more than six feet away from me. I didn’t have to zoom much to capture all the details in this image. However, that moment of peace did not last long.
That is the story behind the shots. For more like this, enjoy these related stories: Bird of the Week, Cooper’s hawk, Teravista, Texas, and Wildlife. Until the next shoot, keep chasing the light and the wonders it reveals.
- Posted for I.J. Khanewala’s Birds of the Week Invitation CLXXXIII.
Sources:
- Wild Birds Unlimited, Canton — Fun Facts About Cooper’s Hawks — https://canton.wbu.com/bird-of-the-month-cooper’s%20hawk
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — How Do Birds Keep Cool in Summer? — https://www.fws.gov/story/how-do-birds-keep-cool-summer
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds — Cooper’s Hawk Life History — https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/lifehistory
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Arati
Such a gift to be in such close proximity to a hawk.
Egidio Leitao
It is indeed. They are wonderful birds. Thanks for your note.
I. J. Khanewala
Lovely photos. You were lucky with that close sighting of a raptor at home. I’m pretty sure they have figured out that you can’t get out through a closed window.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, I.J. Yes, I was very lucky. The hawk has been at the same location every day this week. He comes mid-afternoon, in the heat of the day, for a short break.
Anne Sandler
Great captures, Egidio. Too bad our wildlife can’t take advantage of our air conditioning!
Egidio Leitao
Anne, I’m sure they’d enjoy it. Thanks for writing.
margaret21
What an exciting privilege to get raptors so near to your home!
Egidio Leitao
Margaret, yes, it’s a privilege. I’m thankful for the chances I get. Thanks for writing.
restlessjo
Amazing to see them so close. That’s serious heat. We spent 2 days in that kind of temperature in the Alentejo and I hated it… but the place was beautiful xx
Egidio Leitao
Jo, I hear you loud and clear. If we didn’t have a/c everywhere, it would be deadly. Thanks for the note. xx
pamperrault21
Truly magnificent! They’re both great but I love the shot of him up in the tree the best. Great photography! pp
Egidio Leitao
Thank you very much for your feedback. I’m lucky to be able to observe nature so close to home.
Vicki
Superb bird photography.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Vicki. They make it so easy. I sometimes don’t even have to leave the bedroom. 🙂
shoreacres
I’ve seen both Mallards and Great Blue Herons panting that way. I also saw several grackles hunkered down in the shade beneath cars in the HEB parking lot today!
Egidio Leitao
The herons that show up in our backyard sometimes exhibit that behavior, even in the morning, sometimes. The hawk was back on the fence again this afternoon.