Red-tailed Hawks in Toronto

by Lynne, Michael & Elizabeth
(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Red Tailed Hawk sighted in South Toronto

Lynne from South Toronto, sent us this picture of a Red Tailed Hawk, and said ... I walked out the front door and saw this beauty having a meal on our neighbour's roof.

Michael Homonylo from Toronto wrote ... a Red-Tailed Hawk swooped down into our backyard, got a pigeon. My wife Cynthia feeds birds and squirrels all year long. A tall church is on the corner, three houses away, at Bloor and Prince Edward Drive. The bell tower at the church attracts pigeons, as does my wife's feeders and seed spread on the lawn.

Today a red-tailed hawk got one of the pigeons, and sat with it on the ground in its claws. After a few moments looking around (for challengers to its prey?), it was disturbed by a noise and lifted the dead pigeon to the roof of a neighbours garage. It stayed there a few minutes, then flew off with the prey in its claws.

There are many tall trees in our neighbourhood, and a large cemetery on the south side of Bloor street. Lots of places to nest, and we are within blocks of the Humber River. A beautiful bird, I would guess about a foot tall, from top of head to claws.

Elizabeth, also from Toronto, wrote to report ... I live in an apartment building near Don Mills and Sheppard and saw a red-tailed Hawk this morning in flight around my apartment (I am on the 15th floor). Our building is home to many pigeons that like to sit on the balconies, and this hawk created an uproar as all the pigeons suddenly up and fled while the hawk gracefully flew in circles, sometimes coming very close to our balcony. It was a beautiful morning treat to see this!