Northern Goshawk - Accipiter gentilis
These raptors have a reputation for relentless pursuit of Snowshoe Hares and Ruffed Grouse, their traditional prey. However, anything smaller that moves is at risk when this talented hunter is in the neighborhood. In years when the Snowshoe Hare population falls, Northern Goshawks might migrate south.
Accipiters have long toes and the prey is killed with the talons. After capture, and during flight, the Northern Goshawk extends long legs away from the body to minimize injury from the prey, and repeatedly stabs the prey with the talons until a vital organ is penetrated. The beak is only used for feeding.
The location at the edge of a coniferous forest, the broad tail with a fourth tail band, and the distinct white supercilium confirm this as an immature Northern Goshawk.
References
The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists. 2007.
Dunne P, Sibley D, Sutton C. Hawks in Flight. Houghton Mifflin. New York. 1988.
Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.
Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2000.
Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.
Mountain Goat - Oreamnos americanus
Recently, we saw a mother and her kid foraging in a rocky gully along the Kananaskis Highway. The mother bounded up the grassy hill and ran past us. However, the kid was intimidated by our presence, and as soon the young goat was about ten meters from us, the kid turned and ran back down the hill. The young goat repeated the run-up-to-us, pause and bleat, and then run-back-down manoeuvre about five times before the mother finally returned to the gully.
The mother's fur looked mangy because the autumn moult had started. Mountain Goats moult twice a year. The short 1 cm summer coat moults in autumn to allow the long 20 cm winter coat necessary for a Canadian winter in the mountains.
Male and female goats look the same and are difficult to tell apart. We presumed this was a mother, since kids and even yearlings stay with the mother. The pictures otherwise confirm the female gender. The circumference of the male horn is much larger at the base than the eye of the goat.
Female goats squat to urinate and males "stretch." The mother obliged us by peeing before she ran past us and down into the gully to rejoin her kid.
The main predators include grizzly bear, wolf, and cougar. Golden Eagles prey on kids and juveniles. These large raptors swoop by and and knock the smaller animals off the cliff-sides and then feed on the fallen carcass. The most common cause of death is avalanche. Mountain Goats forage at higher elevations in the summer and lower elevations in the winter. Except during autumn rut, adult males and females live in separate groups.
References
Gadd Ben. Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. Corax Press. Jasper, Alberta. 1986.
Naughton Donna. The Natural History of Canadian Mammals. UofT Press. 2012.
Cooper's Hawk - Accipiter cooperii
A gang of young crows hang out in my backyard. They enjoy the husked sunflower seeds I set out. These black adolescents are not endearing. They make a lot of racket and they scare off the smaller birds. Periodically I chase them off.
Recently, a Cooper's Hawk did the job for me. At dawn, I looked out and saw several of the crows sitting on the metal arch at the back gate. Suddenly, they scattered. A Cooper's Hawk arrived and for a few moments, the sky above the gate was a flurry of birds as the crows disappeared in a variety of directions. The Cooper's Hawk took up the same perch on the metal arch.
The Cooper's Hawk arrived from the East, and was likely perched along the fence in my neighbour's yard. The fence is a favoured perch for the Cooper's Hawks and Merlins who prey on the smaller birds who enjoy the sunflower seeds. Smaller birds avoid the yard when the crows are present. A such, the crows were inconvenient for the Cooper's Hawk.
The short rounded wings of accipiters are well-adapted for quick maneuvering in dense forests, and the tight turns the Cooper's Hawk made above my fence were a perfect example of this attribute. Surprise is the hallmark of an accipiter.
References
The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists. 2007.
Baicich PJ, Harrison CJO. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Princeton UP. 2005.
Dunne P, Sibley D, Sutton C. Hawks in Flight. Houghton Mifflin. New York. 1988.
Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.
Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2000.
Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.
Eastern Kingbird - Tyrannus tyrannus
I mostly see the Eastern Kingbird during the spring and fall migration, and the sighting of the bird below on August 21, 2013, is a heads-up that the fall migration is underway. The longer wings of the Eastern Kingbird are aerodynamically adapted for the sustained flight at high speed, which is necessary for the long migration to Central America. A male and female often nest together in successive years but the birds do not migrate together, which implies they independently return to the same geographic area in the spring.
The genus and species name are identical, which emphasizes the description. Tyrannus means tyrant, so this bird has a reputation for aggressiveness if the nest or territory is threatened.
The spring photos below were on June 11, 2013. The changes in the feather coloration imply this is a juvenile. The feather change cannot be a molt, because the Eastern Kingbird molts after migration.
References
The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists. 2007.
Baicich PJ, Harrison CJO. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Princeton UP. 2005.
Beadle D, Rising J. Sparrows of the United States and Canada. Princeton UP. 2003.
Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.
Howell, Steve N. G. Molt in North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. New York. 2010.
Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.
Tudge Colin. The Bird. Crown Publishers. New York. 2008.
Savannah Sparrow - Passerculus sandwichensis
Savannah Sparrows feed on the ground and often flush to a perch, rather than to the ground, and this behaviour helps distinguish the Savannah from other sparrows in my area. The bird below flushed to a perch close to the Elbow Valley Constructed Wetland.
References
The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists. 2007.
Baicich PJ, Harrison CJO. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Princeton UP. 2005.
Beadle D, Rising J. Sparrows of the United States and Canada. Princeton UP. 2003.
Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.
Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2000.
Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.
These raptors have a reputation for relentless pursuit of Snowshoe Hares and Ruffed Grouse, their traditional prey. However, anything smaller that moves is at risk when this talented hunter is in the neighborhood. In years when the Snowshoe Hare population falls, Northern Goshawks might migrate south. 
The location at the edge of a coniferous forest, the broad tail with a fourth tail band, and the distinct white supercilium confirm this as an immature Northern Goshawk.
References
