If you spot a patch of blood-stained snow in your neighbourhood this winter, don’t panic. It’s likely the work of your local hawk going about its business.
Hawks have found urban environments to be quite comfortable, thriving in cities and even outcompeting their rural counterparts. In Salt Lake City, the most commonly sighted hawk species during annual Christmas bird counts include Cooper’s hawks, red-tailed hawks, and sharp-shinned hawks.
If you keep an eye out, you might catch them in action, hunting around the city. Many residents have shared their experiences of spotting these birds in their neighbourhoods, often capturing photos and fascinating stories.
T.C., a resident of the Marmalade neighbourhood, mentions that while the hawks in his area don’t like to pose for photos, he did manage to snap a picture of one with telltale tawny tail feathers in 2022, likely a red-tailed hawk.
Donaree N. shares that a hawk visits her heated birdbath in Holladay every few months. “We know he’s here! Every once in a while, we see feathers dropping from the pine tree—that tells us he’s found his lunch,” she wrote. She has nicknamed the bird “Mr. Hawk.”
Michelle M.K. has a sharp-shinned hawk frequenting her bird feeding station, as well as the nearby Mick Riley golf course in Murray. Meanwhile, Eric R. noticed Cooper’s hawk perched in his apple tree in Sugar House right after he realized the squirrels in his yard had disappeared. Other residents, like Laura K. and W. Cleve B., have seen hawks in southern Davis County, often right as other small wildlife seems to scatter.
In the upper Avenues, Jack B. has observed a nesting pair of Cooper’s hawks raising chicks for the past seven years. The young hawks learn to fly and hunt under the careful guidance of their parents. Jack even recalls watching young hawks perched on his front porch rail, staring at their reflections in his window, and witnessing adult hawks dissecting prey in his backyard.
Marta L., from Midvale, has been watching a pair of hawks in a box elder grove near her home since 2021. She’s followed their fledglings’ progress each year, even assisting in the rescue of one injured young hawk, which was later taken to Great Basin Wildlife Rescue in Mapleton.
Photographer Tom Jones has been seeing more and more Cooper’s hawks in the east end of Sandy’s Dimple Dell Park over the past few months. He shared a striking image of a sharp-shinned hawk enjoying a meal in his backyard.
A couple of years ago, a neighbor and I found ourselves cheering like rodeo fans as two hawks—one adult and one juvenile—chased after smaller birds. The intended prey managed to escape, leaving the hawks with nothing to show for their efforts except an unquenched appetite, hopefully for rodents.
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