Buteo jamaicensis–the red-tailed hawk–is one of the most common birds of prey that is seen on campus.
With a range that spans from Alaska to Panama and a little beyond, these birds are both common and conspicuous.
These hawks feed on many other critters on campus, such as small mammals and birds, but will actively hunt nearly anything they can peck or claw down. They are a true apex predator on campus.
Soaring above our beloved South Kingstown, on a sunny New England day, you may be able to see a large bird adorned with its titular red tail, surveying the land for opportunity.
Opportunity is more blurry than I want it to be. Misinterpretation is always lurking to guide you down a path that you ought not go down. You usually can make it out; you are aware of its existence, but clarity is a rarity. Mountains can be made of mole hills. A coating of gold to cover up something messy. Then again, missing something good defers dreams.
That’s the struggle of predatory birds that fly high. They must use their keen senses in hopes of finding opportunity while not missing the plot on something useless. It’s an exercise of energy optimization. The hawks that don’t learn the game are forgotten over time.
Critters of all sorts must keep this paradigm of risk and reward to heart. To be the most successful in your habitat, you have to seize the right opportunities, on the right day, using the right way. It’s an ecological carpe diem.
And carpe diem, the red-tailed hawks really do. With a command of aerodynamics, they are some of the most impressive flyers around. They can dive, turn on a dime and travel great distances.
It’s nice to know that hawks appreciate the opportunity of flight. I don’t think they take that for granted. However, the clade is not free from arrogance.
As a hawk appreciator, I’ll be the first to admit that they think they are a little better than they actually are. Granted, in terms of birds of prey, they are a generalist species and are a decent continuation of their sauropod brethren. I assure you, they think they are more intimidating than they actually are.
Take one hawk, Mo, who got a little too into British counter-culture for their own good.
Who can fault someone for getting just ever so slightly vain? It’s in our nature to exaggerate and highlight the parts of us that are seemingly the most special or useful. It is a mistake nonetheless, but a mistake that can help me relate to a hawk.
Two of my favorite things that a hawk can teach you are humility and the aforementioned ability to seize the day. Understanding this balance of opportunity, managing risk and reward while also being humble, that’s something else. That is something special; that is something you can take away from an encounter with a red-tailed hawk.
Seize the day, grab a skateboard that you’ll never learn how to properly use and become one with the hawk.
