Depending on who you ask, there are as many as 25 different species of hawks in North America. Due to different regions having different climates and food sources for the various species, each Canadian Province may have it’s own collection of hawks that live there at various times of the year. In this article we’ll cover some of the birds of prey found in Ontario, namely hawks in Ontario. We’ll talk about where you might be able to spot them, look at some pictures, and look at some fun facts for each species.
There are 8 different species that you may be lucky enough to encounter in Ontario. Those species are the Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Rough-legged Hawk, and the Northern Harrier.
Below is a list of hawks in Ontario along with some pictures you help you identify them should you spot one!
1. Red-tailed Hawk
Length: 17.7-25.6 in
Weight: 24.3-51.5 oz
Wingspan: 44.9-52.4 in
Red-tailed Hawks are probably the most common hawks in North America numbering close to 2 million nesting hawks. This number accounts for about 90% of the global Red-tailed Hawk population. These large hawks live in Southern Ontario and most of North America all year long. The rest of Ontario have a breeding population of Red-tailed Hawks and those birds my fly further south in the winter.
Red-tailed Hawks are most active during the day or early morning and are commonly seen soaring above looking for prey with their amazing vision or perched along the roadside on telephone poles. They aren’t often seen in backyards lurking around feeders because they prey on larger animals that just songbirds. Learn more about the Red-tailed Hawk here.
Here’s a quick video we got of a Red-tailed Hawk who had a squirrel trapped under a sign post. Very clever Mr. Hawk…
2. Red-shouldered Hawk
