Interpretive Sign - Hunters of Black Canyon

Many species of birds inhabit Black Canyon of the Gunnison, but few capture the imagination like the great hunting birds. These taloned predators ride the canyon's complex air currents or perch like silent sentinels along the canyon rims, searching for prey on the ledges and river banks far below. During your visit, scan the sky and distant ledges for these birds. These birds of prey and other wildlife are protected here and allowed to live unmolested. Red-tailed hawks can sometimes be identified by a loud, harsh, down-slurred cream. Nesting in trees and cliffs, hawks are known to produce up to founr young a year. Perching high atop a tree or rocky crag, adults may sit quietly for house, then suddenly glide down on an unsuspecting rodent or lizard. During mating the adults will call to each other while soaring and circling. The golden eagle is the largest hunting bird likely to be seen here. Its 92-inch wingspan allows it to soar for long periods on canyon updrafts while it hunts rabbits and squirrels. Golden eagles mate for life and over several years the pair will build several nests. Each spring one of these nests is chosen, rehabilitated with additional limbs and twigs, and defended as the clutch of eggs is laid. Peregrine falcons prefer open country but are equally at home in Black Canyon. Nests are often set upon isolated ledges where the 2 to 4 chicks are less vulnerable to predators. Flight speed and the stunning acrobatics of hte peregrine falcon are legendary.