How to Identify Hawk Feathers

It is not always as simple as you might think to identify what bird a feather comes from, but in the case of hawk feathers, it's typically relatively easy. If nothing else, hawk feathers can usually be distinguished from those of other birds by their size as well as their coloring, and by the fact that hawks in certain regions are typically very distinctive.

As a general matter, if you live in an area populated largely by one type of hawk, it will eventually grow to be second nature for you to identify that species' feather, thus making it simple to eliminate the possibility of a particular feather belonging to the local hawks or to some other type of bird.

Of course, if you aren't familiar with a particular hawk or species of hawk, you may still need help to identify hawk feathers. The following are some basic features you should learn about hawk feathers to aid you in quick, simple, and accurate identification.

Size of the Feather

In most cases, a hawk feather will be larger than basic bird species' feathers, but not as large as, say, the feathers of an eagle or a turkey or a vulture.

• There are exceptions, of course, such as the feathers of the breast and legs.
• Even on a hawk, which have larger feathers, feathers from the breast and legs are likely to be small, fluffy and very similar to the down of any other bird.
• However, wing feathers, which are the ones most often found on the ground, are quite large and distinctively oval-shaped in hawks and when you find these, it should be easy to identify hawk feathers as distinct.

Coloring and Marking of the Feather

Some hawk feathers also have very distinctive markings and colorings that are different from those of other birds.

• If your area is prone to red-tailed hawks, it won't take you long to learn what their distinctive brown and white wing feathers look like.
• Chicken hawks and other common hawk species each have their own coloring and patterning that shows up in their feathers.

Location of the Feather

Finally, the location of the feather can give you some clues as to whether or not you are dealing with a hawk feather or not.

• Finding a large feather outside the loft of your barn or silo, when you know a family of great horned owls lives inside, is probably a pretty good indicator that you have a great horned owl feather in your hands.
• In a similar fashion, finding feathers along country roads, in ditches, and in fields are good signs that you're dealing with those left behind by hawks.
• Keep an eye out for areas in which hawks tend to hang and congregate when looking for feathers. If you're lucky, you may even find a hawk's nest and be able to scan the ground nearby for feathers on a regular basis.

All it takes it one positive identification of a feather and you can use it as a benchmark for future identifications until, eventually, all the hawk species in your area are familiar and easy to determine.

Photo Assistance to Identify Hawk Feathers

If you are still not sure if you've found a hawk feather or not, looking at some pictures might help. You may be able to buy books containing details on different bird feather species, or check in an encyclopedia. You can also look at these hawk images on Foto Search.com for assistance in determining just what a hawk feather looks like.