Scott Matthews captured this handsome hawk resting on top of a building at 106th street and Broadway. Soon afterwards, the hawk got restless, or saw a juicy rat, and it was off. Fun fact: Scott used a telescope to get this shot!
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This looks like that bird I saw back on February 3rd, resting on an air-conditioner on one of the top floors of 875 West End Avenue (southwest corner of 103rd street and WEA). Here are links to the two photos I took:
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/udlU7cisocn8xYMz6Wy-thMG7uxnJfqg5J5rO218BIg
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/ULfNg-bh-8SbAO3kme-xxAtOS7OUWaHNwzLTBcYnc-s
Feel free to post them.
Addendum to my previous post:
I realize that my photos pale in comparison to those of Scott Matthews that appear here. Nonetheless, I thought that posting mine might further the discussion, perhaps leading to speculation over how closely related the respective hawks in the respective photos may be to each other or even if it might have been the same hawk; speculation on the number of hawks currently populating the area; comments on the history of hawks in the are, etc.
I must confess that before seeing this WSR post, I hadn’t even know what type of bird it was that I had seen and photographed back on February 3rd. At first it was mysterious to me but then I thought it might be nothing more exotic than a pigeon. I realize this reveals how woefully pathetic my ornithological knowledge is. In my defense, however, I would point-to the lack of detail and clarity in my photos compared to those taken by Mr. Matthews.
This is, I believe, a red tailed hawk. They’ve been around the city for a while now. I see them in Riverside Park frequently.
Saw one take a pigeon right out of the sky, then proceed to a window ledge of the Apple Bank, and have his lunch. Drew quite a crowd!
I frequently see people shoot these birds with what seem like high powered bee bee rifles. I once saw a homeless man eat one in Central park – he was in the ramble with a small open fire.
There are lots of handsome/pretty red-tailed hawks on the UWS, in Central and Riverside Parks, and throughout NYC. Check out the Urban Hawks blog for great photos, video, and info: https://urbanhawks.blogs.com/ .
Viva our urban wildlife!