Hawks, magnificent birds of prey, communicate through a variety of vocalizations, with screeching being one of their most distinctive and frequently heard sounds. These calls are not random noises but serve as a crucial form of communication, conveying important messages about their presence, status, and intentions. From defining territories to nurturing their young, hawk screeches play a central role in their complex social lives and ecological interactions.
Defending Territory
Hawks are highly territorial, especially during their breeding season, and they use loud, piercing screeches to establish and maintain their boundaries. This vocal display serves as a warning to potential intruders, signaling ownership of a specific area. These warnings are often directed at other raptors, but can also be aimed at humans, pets, or any other animals that venture too close to their established hunting grounds or nesting sites. Persistent screeching in this context indicates a perceived threat or an ongoing dispute over territory. It asserts the hawk’s dominance to deter rivals.
Nesting and Raising Young
Vocalizations become frequent and varied during the nesting and chick-rearing phases, accounting for hawk screeching. Courtship calls, which can include duetting between mates and aerial displays accompanied by vocalizations, help strengthen pair bonds and attract suitable partners. Once eggs hatch, adult hawks use specific calls to communicate with their offspring, such as announcing the arrival of food or warning them of potential danger. A primary reason for prolonged and continuous screeching, however, comes from young, fledged hawks.
These juvenile hawks, still learning to hunt independently, emit high-pitched, insistent begging calls to solicit food from their parents. This persistent vocalization can occur almost continuously for several weeks after they leave the nest, as they remain dependent on their parents for sustenance. Parents may continue to provide food for up to two months post-fledging, gradually encouraging their young to hone their hunting skills. This constant calling helps them develop independence.
Responding to Threats or Distress
Hawks also employ loud, urgent screeches as alarm signals when they perceive an immediate threat to themselves, their mate, or their nest and young. These threats might include larger predators entering their airspace or direct human disturbance near a nest site. Such sharp alarm calls can alert other birds, prompting them to take cover. While continuous screeching due to distress is less common, unusual or prolonged vocalizations could, in rare instances, indicate that a hawk is injured.
An injured hawk might be grounded or unable to fly, and its calls may sound different from typical vocalizations. If a hawk appears to be in distress or injured, it is generally advised not to approach the bird directly. Instead, contacting local wildlife authorities or a raptor rehabilitation center is the appropriate course of action.