Predatory birds that aren’t hawks
Something I’ve noticed during my time in the aviankind community is an overabundance of hawk and eagle therians, mostly red-tailed hawks, which I think is directly tied to the tendency for people to 1. confirm an avian theriotype and 2. feel a prey drive so they 3. immediately say they’re a hawk or eagle as if hawks and eagles are the only birds who hunt.
So, for any bird therians who are questioning and feel as though they’re a predator, here’s a few other birds to at least cross off the list before you land on red-tailed hawk:
Every other kind of hawk. Guys, there are over 200 species of hawk. Many are extremely similar to red-tails in terms of behavior and morphology, but have key differences that you might disregard if you’ve already decided you must be a red-tail because those are the ones you know about.
Owls. If you think you may be a nocturnal animal, you might want to look into owls before hawks. Hawks are strictly diurnal (active during the day). There’s also a few physical differences; smaller beaks, usually shorter tails, different-shaped wings and very different talons being a few.
Falcons. Falcons are actually unrelated to hawks and eagles. They’re more closely related to parrots and passerines like songbirds. Hunting methods often differ; many species of falcons hunt by attacking other birds mid-air. Many other falcons, though, have very similar behavior to hawks. So be thorough.
Fish-catching birds: kingfishers, herons, egrets, ospreys, cormorants, loons, albatrosses, some ducks, pelicans (no I am not kidding). Consider what kinds of prey your hunting urges are directed toward. Take notes on your shifts, especially beak shifts if you have them. Many of these birds have very different beaks than the hooked bill of a hawk. And if you feel a prey drive towards fish, you might want to look into one of these birds.
Insect-catching birds: rollers, swallows, flycatchers, potoos, bluebirds, warblers, wrens, swifts, waxwings. Again, think about what kinds of animals you feel urged to hunt, and the way you want to hunt them. Most of these birds fly after insects in the air and catch them mid-air. A lot of these birds are smaller, too, so that’s something to pay attention to shifts for. Don’t disregard these birds just because they aren’t as cool or bugs are icky.
Skuas. I’d put them in the fish-catching category but they also prey on terrestrial animals, steal eggs, and scavenge. They’re carnivores but will take any meat they can get.
Shrikes. Also a smaller bird, but I personally think these guys are pretty cool. If “impales smaller animals on thorns to save them for later” strikes a chord with you, maybe look into shrikes. Brutal, isn’t it?
This post is mainly for questioning bird therians who feel a prey drive, but if you’re questioning hawk just on the basis that you know you’re a carnivore, consider: vultures. I know, I know, ugly creepy birds who eat dead things. Well, I might be biased, but imo vultures are some seriously cool animals. I get the aversion though; I have a theriotype I didn’t consider at first because I had no beforehand opinion on it. Just because something isn’t your most favorite animal since childhood doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider it if it matches your shifts.
Now, I am not trying to convince you you’re definitely not a hawk. You very well might be. I just see a lot of bird therians not put a lot of time into questioning and just go with the easiest answer. And I know this happens from personal experience, as someone who used to think he was a red-tail himself (because it was the easiest answer).
As a bird and an ornithology nerd, I’d love to see more care taken with the questioning process - self-analysis can’t hurt, and you’ll definitely learn some cool stuff along the way even if you do confirm you’re a hawk! Remember, the three most important things in questioning: research, introspection, and take your time!
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