Neither more nor less

Five years ago this immature Red Tailed hawk wintered in Tompkins Square Park leaving the park in late February for more open territory probably somewhere north of here . This behavior is typical for the immature hawks that we see in TSP .

The two immature Red Tails that were regularly seen in TSP and pictured here in digital color this winter seem to have now left the park , having left a bit later than usual in the middle of March .

In the one picture of the hawk on the wing in a snowstorm one can see the damage that these hawks are subject to in their first winter among the trees : several of the important feathers necessary for well controled flight are missing . This conditionn makes it significantly more difficult to hunt successfully especially among trees . I have been told that the majority of the immature Red Tailed hawks do not survive their first year.