Tucson’s Most Famous Raptor

The number and diversity of raptors that regularly winter in urban Tucson is almost overwhelming: it’s not unusual for me to see a dozen individuals of four or five species on my drive to the office.

For the past two winters, the “usual” birds of prey have been joined by a real rarity, an adult Short-tailed Hawk. The species has been steadily moving north in western Mexico for years, and recent summers have seen pairs occupying territories in Arizona’s Huachucas and Chiricahuas; breeding has been confirmed in at least that latter range. The birds at Barfoot Lookout in the Chiricahuas are reasonably reliable for those willing to make the short, steep hike, but still, it’s a red-letter day anytime you can see this snazzy little buteo.

Even more so in the winter. The Tucson bird, discovered by Dave Stejskal, spends most of its time in the air, as is the species’ wont, and the first view Darlene and I had of it over Wednesday’s lunch break was not great.

A little patience, however, and the celebrihawk came in much closer, stopping to kite and hover in the wind just above the eucalyptus and Italian cypress of the neighborhood it now owns.

To our amazement, the lovely creature decided to land in the tallest of the trees, where its creamy underparts and rusty highlights helped it vanish against the eucalyptus bark. Should we leave, satisfied that we had for some reason been found worthy?

No, not quite yet.

Apparently craving even more adoration (who doesn’t?), the hawk decidled to sidle (happy typo, that one) out into the open, where it perched for 15 minutes, preening and fluffing and ignoring the Northern Mockingbirds and Lesser Goldfinches lower in the tree. And now it truly couldn’t get any better, and when the bird took off low and fast to the northeast, we left, too. One of the best lunches I’d had in a long time!