Our Red-tailed Hawk, Carson, has been very vocal lately. When I enter the mew, she often grumbles and squawks. And every once in a while, we can hear her from the office when she gives her typical Red-tail “keeee-er” call.
I had never heard the high-pitched, repeated squawks before, so I posed a question to an international group of bird trainers online: “Does anyone speak Red-tailed Hawk?” It turns out these sounds are quite common in some birds. Some trainers said their Red-tails only do this in the spring during breeding season. Others said their birds make the repeated squawks when they see the trainer coming with breakfast. It was interesting to hear what other birds do and to try to piece together an explanation for Carson’s chatty habits. The vocalizations just started this spring so it is likely due, in part, to breeding season. She is also very food-motivated; she may be telling me to hurry up and deliver dinner!
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