Eagles, ravens and turkeys, oh my! Get the inside scoop on Southern Utah raptor surveys

Written by Alysha Lundgren
February 15, 2024

IRON COUNTY — Starting at the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources office, wildlife biologist Danielle Finlayson treks across Iron County, driving slowly and staring at power lines, poles and fence posts on a rainy winter day.

A turkey perches in a cottonwood tree, Iron County, Utah, Feb. 6, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News

Her primary goal — surveying raptors.

She stops when she sees a group of birds in a field — ravens. She counts them while another staff member keeps a tally, but corvids aren’t what she really wants. Finlayson spots two more “bird blobs” in a cottonwood tree.

Parking near the tree, she pulls out her scope for a closer look. Her hopes are high at first — the birds are large, but the color patterns on their feathers aren’t quite right.

“What? That is not an eagle; that is a turkey,” she said, laughing. “Those are freaking turkeys. That’s hilarious. I’ve never had a turkey on the survey.”

Wildlife biologist Danielle Finlayson uses a scope to spot a raptor, Iron County, Utah, Feb. 6, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News

It’s a slow day for raptors, but Finlayson’s annual raptor survey isn’t a complete bust. She spotted 12 birds of prey, making her total 202 so far this year. She counted over 60 raptors on both her previous surveys.

“I think 68 is the most I’ve gotten,” she said. “I’ve gotten dozens and dozens of bald eagles in a single survey.”

She surveyed about nine species, including bald and golden eagles; red-tailed, sharp-shinned, Cooper’s and ferruginous hawks and northern harriers; as well as, merlins and American kestrels — both falcons.

She identifies each bird by its coloring. For instance, an adult red-tailed hawk will have a brick-red tail synonymous with its name. But the juvenile she spotted in a tree was a darker brown, with white markers on its shoulders, chest and belly.

“He’s still in the same feathers that he grew when he was in the nest,” she said. “So this summer, he will molt into his adult feathers.”

A juvenile red-tailed hawk perches in a tree, Iron County, Utah, Feb. 6, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News

Each time a raptor is spotted, staff record the GPS coordinates, temperature, habitat type, species and other data. While ravens are corvids rather than raptors, staff keep a running tally of the number observed to track population numbers.

While no longer required, the division has conducted an annual raptor survey for 30 years, beginning in 1994. From November to February, a biologist would hit the road twice a month to count raptors.

“This has been done yearly for so long that I feel like it’s a shame to stop doing it,” Finlayson said. “Because if one day we want to use the data, it’s nice to know, yearly, what the changes have been … if there’s trends over however many years.”

The smallest bird Finlayson surveyed was an American kestrel, often overlooked or mistakenly identified as a juvenile of another species. They are typically slightly bigger than robins.

An American kestrel perches in a tree, Iron County, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Danielle Finlayson, Cedar City News

“I can’t tell you how many times people call in, and they’re like, ‘I’ve got a baby eagle,’” Finlayson said. “It’s a kestrel.”

Kestrels also have behavioral markers Finlayson can use to identify them. For instance, they often perch on wires and will bob their tails after landing.

“You’ll learn little things that make them easier to find,” she said. “To me, what makes birding easier is when you start learning behaviors. Like a red-tailed hawk, you’re rarely going to see on a wire — it’s usually going to be on the pole itself.”

Those interested in spotting raptors themselves can find them across Iron and Washington counties in large, dead trees or on fence posts, poles and similar perches. They can also attend DWR viewing events.

Apps like Merlin and Raptor ID can help individuals recognize species, but Finlayson said raptors are still difficult to identify. So, bird-watchers should learn the birds’ markings and behaviors to confirm identifications themselves.

A bald eagle perches in a tree, Iron County, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Danielle Finlayson, Cedar City News

Alternatively, people can email their pictures to Finlayson and request help with identification.

To reduce impacts on raptors while birding, Wild Aware Utah reminds recreators to drive safely, as hundreds of raptors are killed by vehicles each year while feeding on road kill or hunting near roadways.

Other ways to support birds of prey include switching to lead-free ammunition, burying gut piles so they cannot ingest shrapnel, and disposing of fishing lines, kite strings and nets, Wild Aware Utah stated.

Additionally, those with an eye for bird-watching can volunteer to collect data on raptors and nesting behaviors for the Raptor Inventory Nest Survey.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alysha Lundgren joined the St. George News team in 2022. She began her career as a freelancer, writing resource articles for families of children with disabilities. She's also covered topics such as astronomy, recreation and nature. Originally from Nevada, Alysha fell in love with Utah quickly after moving to Cedar City. In her free time, she enjoys wandering and photographing Utah's gorgeous landscapes or hunkering down in a blanket to play video games or read a good book.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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