Autumn Hunters

A late autumn drive through the American Midwest can be a dull experience. Low, gray clouds, barren trees, brown pastures and depleted croplands yield a stark landscape. But this is raptor season and watching for these birds of prey will make your trip more enjoyable.

Kestrels, small members of the falcon family, hunt from power lines or hover above the grassy medians, searching for mice. Red-tailed hawks perch along the highway and soar above the farmlands while northern harriers fly low over fields and marsh, flapping and tilting as they hunt. Bald eagles, increasingly common across the Midwest, are best found near our larger lakes and rivers. Finally, short-eared owls, often active during the day, may be seen resting on a stump or patrolling an open grassland.