Wild Kingdom Star Jim Fowler Talks Birdwatching and Birds of Prey

Jim Fowler is most known for his birds of prey, but today, the 87-year-old has his sights set on smaller birds when birdwatching.

“As an observer and naturalist, I’ve always enjoyed trying to identify the smaller birds,” he says, picking up a pair of binoculars. And with these binoculars, I can see anything that comes in here.”

Fowler puts a variety of seeds in his feeder to attract birds. “I use a lot of sunflower seeds, and I put smaller seeds in there too.”

Fowler’s Backyard Birdwatching Tip for Success

He says the key to attracting birds is to give them cover so they aren’t in the open for long.

“A bird is genetically programmed to not stay out in the open for very long.”

He points to a bush sticking out near The Fowler Feeder.

“The birds go to the hedge and are protected and then come to the feeder and then off and quickly hide.”

Birds of Prey at the Feeder

Fowler’s eyes light up when he asks if we know what a Cooper’s Hawk is. It’s easy to see that predators are his favorite bird.

He explains that Cooper’s Hawks are a forest bird called Accipiters. Accipiters are hawks that inhabit deeply wooded areas.

They have short, rounded wings and long rudder-like tails, which allow them to maneuver among the trees.

The Cooper’s Hawk is chiefly a bird-eating hawk, and almost any bird up to the size of a pheasant qualifies as prey.

In addition to birds, it also captures mammals, including squirrels and rabbits, and occasionally takes lizards and amphibians.

Their recognizable flight pattern consists of several rapid flaps and then a glide. There are three North American Accipiters.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)

Sharp-shinned Hawks are the smallest of the three North American accipiters.

They measure 10 to 14 inches long and have wingspans of about 2 feet.

These birds get their name from the “shins” of their legs, which are not round but oval and somewhat sharp.

These birds get their name from the “shins” of its legs which are not round, but oval and rather sharp.

The small head is round, and the long, square-tipped tail has narrow black and gray bands.

Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)

The Cooper’s Hawk is a larger version of the Sharp-shinned Hawk, and the two are alike in color and markings.

A Cooper’s is crow-sized, 15 to 20 inches long, and has a three-foot wingspan.

The Cooper’s Hawk is chiefly a bird-eating hawk, and almost any bird up to the size of a pheasant qualifies as prey.

In addition to birds, it also captures mammals, including squirrels and rabbits, and occasionally takes lizards and amphibians.

American Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)

The Goshawk is a powerful raptor and the largest of the North American accipiters.

It’s 20 to 26 inches long with a wingspan of 3 to 4 feet. Their prey consists of birds, from songbirds to ducks and grouse.

They also capture mammals, ranging from mice and chipmunks to rabbits and woodchucks. Goshawks hunt from perches or on the wing.

They’re aggressive and persistent in pursuing food and have been known to chase prey on foot.

Jim Fowler Says Nature Isn’t a Nice Place

Fowler says he hasn’t had a bird of prey like a Cooper’s Hawk at the feeder lately, but one visited his feeder last fall.

“A Cooper’s Hawk came in and nailed one of the birds at the feeder right here,” he says.

He says it serves as a reminder that nature is not such a nice place as everybody thinks it is.

“Animals are fighting, killing, and eating each other. Humans don’t work that way, but nature does,” he says. ‘The predators take off the weak and sick so they don’t breed; that’s why everything in nature that survives is very tuned in and successful.”

He says that’s why he doesn’t mind if a hawk occasionally comes into his feeder area.

“It’s just nature being nature.”

Read part three of Catching Up with Wild Kingdom’s Star Jim Fowler here.