If you have ever looked up and seen a group of hawks circling round and round, screeching their heads out, it’s tough to not be absolutely terrified.
They truly look like high-school bullies circling around looking for their next victim.
But searching and scouring are the obvious but not the only reasons they flock together in such an eerie manner.
If you have seen the impeccable feats of movement hawks are capable of during their migrations, it is certainly curious to see how they are able to do for such long periods and high altitudes, without tiring themselves out.
Here is where their flocking comes into play!
Do Hawks Flock Together? And Why In Circles?
What hawks are actually doing when they’re flying round and round is that they are catching thermals.
Thermals are warm currents that rise high up in the air, which are then used by birds to facilitate their movements.
To understand how they work, we just need to know some basic physics.
Nothing too serious, we promise!
We know hot air rises upwards, right?
That is basically what is happening here as well, but these thermals help the hawk flocks stay afloat for astonishing periods of time without a single flap of their wings.
But why circles? Who decided on that?
Yet again, physics did! The warm currents as they create torrents or whirlpool-like air currents, and the hawks simply catch on to them and spread their wings wide, and ready for the ride.
So how do they all know when and where? How do they form their seemingly carefully constructed groups? Do they stay in a group all throughout the year?
Birds flock together for the simple reason that when one hawk sees another having their time easily riding the current, they know that there is a thermal there and join.
Soon enough, everyone wants to join in on the ease, and you have got yourself a flock of hawks, or what is referred to as a kettle of hawks!
As for the loyalty of the groups themselves, there’s nothing as such. The soaring flock is purely based on who is where and gets the opportunity to join in.
They don’t purposefully call dibs on each other to ride together but they do sometimes end up together in flocks because of the size of some of them!
What Does It Mean When You See A Flock Of Hawks?
Seeing a flock of hawks is truly a majestic experience. The timbre of their screeches, combined with the sharp swooping of their brilliantly wide wings – ah what a sight to see! Yet there is a lot of symbolism tied to the appearance of a flock of hawks in the sky.
In Native American cultures, hawks are believed to be messengers – this could be from ancestors, their gods, and goddesses, their spirit guides, etc.
Native Americans believed hawks to be protectors, sending them warning calls at the first sign of danger.
They also say that if the shadow of a passing hawk passes over you, it denotes impending doom and danger in your future.
There are many other cultures like Egyptian and Celtic Mythologies as well as Christianity itself where hawks are sometimes symbols of freedom and fight, while in others it is one of danger and darkness.
Whatever it might be, we suggest you see hawks simply as what they are, majestic creatures taking a giant leap with the help of physics and just wonder on in amazement!
Do Hawk Families Stay Together?
Yes! Hawks are monogamous and tend to stay together for life once they have mated. In cases where the mate passes away or is lost, the search for a second mate commences.
As for the family itself, the young ones do not stay together with their parents for very long but do stay with them longer than other species.
This is because they are apex predators and thus enjoy the comfort of a lesser amount of predation and thus can stay together for longer.
Do Hawks Fly-In Pairs?
Hawks are usually solitary creatures and like having their own time in the sky. The only exception is when they are mated.
They are monogamous creatures, and thus mate for life. If you happen to catch these pairs in the sky during the breeding season, you will bear witness to a truly spectacular show of aerobic dynamics.
They fly in pairs in large circles, having several swooping motions, like some perfectly choreographed dance. It is rare to sight these, so if you have – consider yourselves lucky.
What Is A Group Of Hawks Called?
Bird groups have the most fun names when they are in a collective! Like a murder of crows – our personal favorite group name. Birds of prey like hawks and falcons are called cauldrons.
That’s right, a group of hawks is a cauldron of them – now isn’t that a nice picture to imagine.
In Conclusion
And that is the reason why hawks “gang up” the way they do and flock round and round. It’s no ill intent, just pure physics!
We hope we cleared your questions and that you won’t be as terrified now of these dominating birds flying in circles in the sky.
Thank you for reading!
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