A large, eagle-like bird, with a wingspread of around six feet. Adults, almost wholly blackish; the under side of the wings gray-black; head naked, red.

ZION. Common summer resident at lower and middle elevations. Records from May to September. Nests in June.

BRYCE CANYON. A rare summer visitant. Observed near Sunset Point on September 4, 1934.

This bird is often confused in flight with the Golden Eagle, but can be distinguished from the eagle by the position of the wings. The vulture soars with the wings arched upward; the eagle keeps his wings level. The feathers on the wing tip are conspicuously separated in flight. Vultures have a tendency to travel in pairs. After eating, they often spend considerable time on the ground, in a rather listless attitude.

A small, robin-size hawk. Adults, blue-gray above; under parts light and barred with reddish-brown; tail long and square-tipped. The female is somewhat larger than the male.

ZION. Uncommon permanent resident throughout the higher portions of the park, occasionally drifting into the canyons. One pair found nesting in the evergreens at Emerald Pool in June. Breeding records from the plateau are lacking.

BRYCE CANYON. Uncommon summer visitant. Believed to be a breeding bird, but records are lacking.

This small hawk can be distinguished from the Sparrow Hawk by its long tail, rounded wings and duller coloration, and from the Cooper's Hawk by its smaller size and square tail. Often when flying it alternately takes a series of rapid strokes and then sails in a circle. It is wonderfully adept at catching small animals and young poultry. It hides in the dense foliage, darting out with flashing speed to capture any small bird or rodent that ventures into the open.

Crow size. Adults, almost identical to the preceding species; tail rounded instead of square.

ZION. Uncommon summer visitant. Believed to be permanent, but winter records are lacking. Records from May to September. It is believed this bird nests in the higher reaches of the park, but records are not available as yet to substantiate this.

BRYCE CANYON. Rare fall migrant. Believed to he permanent, but records are lacking. Records only from September and November.

The Cooper's Hawk is a bold hunter, often attacking without regard to the presence of man. Its sheer skill in flight enables it to dart with amazing speed through thick masses of trees and brush in pursuit of its prey. While it may sometimes be seen flapping and circling high above the trees and small meadows, its hunting is usually carried on near the ground.

A large hawk, seagull size. Adults, upper parts brown; under parts white, with broad markings of dark brown; tail bright rufous.

ZION. Common permanent resident. Nests in May and June.

BRYCE CANYON. Common permanent resident.

CEDAR BREAKS. Uncommon summer visitant. Further studies may show this bird to be a summer resident.

This is one of the soaring hawks. Its chunky body, wide wings, reddish tail and steady flight are good points for ready identification. With only a few exceptions, the Red-tail is very beneficial. Occasionally one of these birds becomes a "chicken-killer," but for the most part its food consists of injurious rodents, grasshoppers and the like. In Zion Canyon it can be seen teaching its young to fly late in June and early July. This course of instruction is accompanied by a succession of shrill cries of encouragement from the parent birds, with equally shrill notes of doubt from the young birds.

Swainson's Hawk. Park Service Photo.

About the same size as the preceding species. Adults, upper parts brown; throat and underparts white; dark rufous band across the breast; tail light gray with several dark bands. The female is like the male, except the breast is grayish.

ZION. Uncommon summer resident. Nests in June and July. Usually occurs in the middle and upper portions of the park.

BRYCE CANYON. Recorded by Presnall in 1934 as being a common summer resident. However, no records have been obtained in recent years.

CEDAR BREAKS. Fairly common summer visitant. Records from June to September.

This bird is very similar in habits to the Red-tail, but is much tamer. It is often seen on low perches or on the ground in the meadows, where it searches for grasshoppers. In migration, many of these hawks may band together. Around Cedar Breaks it is frequently seen around the meadows of Hawk Valley.

Very large, wingspread, six-seven feet. Adults, entire plumage brownish-black; top of head and hind neck, golden brown; sometimes with light patches at base of tail.

ZION. Uncommon permanent resident. Nests in June; young normally seen in August.

BRYCE CANYON. Rare fall visitant. One observed at Rainbow Point on October 20, 1934. Others have been seen near the north end of the park, and may enter the park.

CEDAR BREAKS. Rare summer visitant. Believed to be nesting, but records are lacking. Two were seen around Brian Head in June, 1935.

The Golden Eagle is one of our largest hawks. Seldom is it seen in the canyon depths, but choses the dizzy heights above the sheerest cliffs. In Zion it is occasionally seen around the rim of the Great White Throne, where it is believed to be nesting. Nests have also been found behind Lady Mountain, and on the side of Cathedral Mountain. The carrying abilities of this bird have been the subject of much discussion, but evidence shows that it probably cannot get off the ground with anything weighing over eight pounds. The young eagles stay in the nest several weeks after they are hatched. Unlike most birds, the young are not strong enough to fly until they are over a month old.

Crow size. Adults, upper parts brown; lower parts whitish; streaked on stomach and sides, but unstreaked on the throat; wings long and pointed.

ZION. Uncommon summer resident. Records from March to September.

BRYCE CANYON. Rare summer visitant. One was observed in Bryce's Canyon on June 15, 1934.

This hawk is primarily a dweller of the dry desert valleys to the south and west of Zion. It is especially numerous in Zion National Monument, where it roams the open flats near Tabernacle Dome. It is a powerful flyer, traveling with terrific speed when making an attack upon its prey. Its nest is usually placed on a ledge high in the cliffs.

Crow size. Adults, similar to the Prairie Falcon. but much darker, and with the underparts barred with dark; top and sides of head black; cheeks white, with a prominent "mustache."

ZION. Uncommon summer resident. Records from March to August. All of the records thus far obtained come from around the Angel's Landing area. Adults have been observed during the summer carrying food to a ledge high on the face of the peak, and it is thought that a rocky outcrop just beneath the rim furnishes a nesting site. A young female only a few weeks old was accidently killed in the canyon, which appears to verify the belief that the bird breeds in the park.

This bird is readily recognized as a falcon by its long, pointed wings and quick wing-beat. It is easily the fastest flyer in the region, exceeding even the speed of the swift. A never-to-be-forgotten sight is to see one of these winged bullets coming down from the heights in a whistling dive upon its unsuspecting prey, and making off with the victim before its presence has even been sensed.

Robin size. Male, reddish-brown back, barred with black; top of head reddish-brown; tail rufous-red; with black band near tip; wings bluish-gray; two black stripes down the side of the head; throat white; underparts buffy streaked with black on the breast and spotted on the belly. Female, rather similar to the male, but with a more reddish-brown back, crossed with several black bars; underparts streaked with brown.

ZION. Common permanent resident in the lower reaches of the park. It is usually found in open situations, seldom getting into the deep, narrow canyons.

BRYCE CANYON. Uncommon permanent resident in the lower parts of the park.

CEDAR BREAKS. Rather common summer resident. It is often seen near the south entrance to the monument around the open meadows and small forested groves. The altitude at which this bird is found suggests the possibility that it may be sparverius. Sparverius is the common nesting form in Nevada, only a short distance to the westward.

This is the only small hawk that will be encountered in the region that frequently hovers in one position for several seconds at a time, wings beating rapidly, while it scans the ground for mice or other food. Its flight is rather rapid, with many quick turns. Upon alighting, it always pumps its tail up and down before finally settling down on the perch. It is especially partial to telephone poles as a perch, with old snags also frequently utilized.