2022 Raptor Countdown

Male American Kestrel.

My files are bursting with recent winter raptor sightings, all from a few blocks of home here in Brooklyn, New York. The four birds here were all seen within a 15-minute span the other day.

For several winters, one or two Peregrines perching on this smokestack were a regular occurrence, but last year Red-tailed Hawks were up there a lot and I hardly saw the big falcons there. This month, I’ve seen both Peregrines and Red-tails up there, but never at the same time.

A Merlin for the falcon trifecta! This is a typical American Kestrel perch, so that’s what I was expecting when I saw this silhouette with the naked eye.

And a Red-tailed Hawk. If I don’t see at least one of these a day, something is definitely wrong.