Birds of Prey-Hunters in the Sky

Birds of Prey-Hunters in the Sky (HM1BP8)

Location: Rock Hall, MD 21661 Kent County
Buy Maryland State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 39° 2.683', W 76° 13.283'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 467 views
Inscription

Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge

Keen eyes spot prey from 3,000 feet away. T he hunt begins for the raptor. Wings spread outward while the powerful feet extend downward. The sharp, heavy talons grasp hold of the unsuspecting animal. Soon a hooked beak will tear it apart. The hunt is over as the bird of prey consumes its meal.

Adult raptors, or birds of prey, have few predators. With its adaptations, it can hunt medium to large-sized animals. Although they have a lifespan of 20-30 years, raptors have slow breeding rates and high mortality among young birds. When adult survival drops, there is a great reduction in the population of that species.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) (Wingspan 54-72" ) *White underside and head, and dark back. *Dark brown stripe through yellow eyes. *Diet consists solely of fish. *Hunt from above, diving into the water. *Nests on platform and tall trees around the refuge.

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) (Wingspan 9-12") *Small Blue-jay sized Hawk. *Reddish back and tail. *Mustached black and white face patterns. *Males have blue/gray wings. *Females have reddish wings. * Hovers, rapidly beating wings while pursuing prey. *Feed on insects, small birds, and rodents.

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) (Wingspan 42") *White rump at the base of the tail. *Narrow tail in flight. *Males are gray. *Females are streaked brown. *Young have red breast. * Soars unsteadily over marshes with wings in a V-shape. *Hunt by ambush while flying close to the ground.

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) (Wingspan 48") *Rust colored tail. *White breast with stripes along the belly. *Round wing tips and fan-shaped tail. *Diet consists mainly of small rodents. *Hunt by soaring over open fields or by sitting in a tree.

Vultures (Wingspan 55-71") *Soar continuously in circles, rarely beating wings. *Scavenges for food, eating dead animal carcasses. *Turkey vulture (Catharies auraj), the most commonly seen, have a red head. (immature have black heads and legs.) *Black vulture (Coragyps atratus) have a black head and gray legs under a short tail.
Details
HM NumberHM1BP8
Tags
Placed ByNational Wildlife Refuge System
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, October 17th, 2014 at 6:14am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 394303 N 4322448
Decimal Degrees39.04471667, -76.22138333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 2.683', W 76° 13.283'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 2' 40.98" N, 76° 13' 16.98" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)410
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1632-1636 Eastern Neck Island Rd, Rock Hall MD 21661, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?