What was that large bird you just drove past, and why was it sitting on top of a power line? We asked an expert why hawks sit near roads.
This Is Why Hawks Sit by Highways
Updated Oct. 02, 2024
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Look for Hawks Along the Highway
If you’ve ever been on a long (or short!) road trip, chances are good that you’ve seen a large bird of prey sitting on a power line, a road sign, a fence, or at the top of a light pole. Because you’re driving in traffic, you can’t exactly pull over to get an ID — but chances are good that the bird you spotted near the highway was a hawk.
Why, exactly, do hawks sit by highways? Is there a reason behind the behavior? We chatted with David Wiedenfeld, senior conservation scientist with American Bird Conservancy, about hawks’ unique roadside perches, and the benefits and drawbacks of roadside hunting for birds.
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A Perfect Perch for Hunting
To hear David tell it, hawks sitting by roadsides aren’t there to admire the view: they’re looking for their next meal. “Roadsides are often where you have power lines, so there’s a nice perch you can sit on, on a powerline,” he says. “There might be trees on one side and then grass on the edge of the road, but it’s an edge where they can sit, and look down, and look for things to catch.”
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David says the highway location isn’t special to hawks, and they’re not specifically looking to be beside the open road. For one thing, he notes that we often spot hawks on highways because we’re on highways: hawks are also present in areas that people visit less frequently.
Hawks opt to sit beside the highway because highways are near farm fields and other open areas where they can easily find a meal, such as mice, rabbits, or snakes. “It’s not the road itself,” David says. “It’s just the fact that there are nice perches and an open area.”
Are Highways Dangerous for Hawks?
With that said, some birds will swoop down to claim roadkill from the highway, while others won’t. Red-tailed, red-shouldered, and Swainson’s hawks won’t go after something they haven’t caught themselves, while bald and golden eagles will eat roadkill, according to David. “You will see them in areas close by roads, eating something that got hit,” David says, referring to the eagles. “They are somewhat scavengers, although they like to catch their own.”
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For larger birds that land on the highway, that can be dangerous. Because eagles require space to take flight, they could end up under the wheels of or colliding with a passing car. Hawks, on the other hand, tend not to swoop onto the road.
While they might use it as a way to spot passing critters that they could catch, they tend to hunt in grass or brush, so they’re less at risk. “Being near a road is dangerous for any bird, but a lot of the hawks are mostly going to sit on a power line, or go into the shrubs or grass that are near the road,” David says. “It tends not to be as dangerous for them.”
Next, learn how to tell the difference between a falcon vs a hawk.
Sources
- Missouri Department of Conservation, “Hawk Talk“
About The Expert
As senior conservation scientist for American Bird Conservancy, David Wiedenfeld has worked on research pertaining to bird populations for decades. He served as director of research at the Sutton Avian Research Center, and he also served as head of the department of vertebrate ecology at the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos Islands. He holds a doctorate in biological science from Florida State University, and his favorite bird is the swallow-tailed kite.
Originally Published: October 02, 2024
