By Vivian Nash
Every day, Anne Marie Higgins, a retired nurse practitioner, makes her rounds through the Syracuse University Campus and Oakwood Cemetery in Syracuse, New York. She drives slowly, searching the tree tops and sky for Red-tailed Hawks. Higgins' rounds take her a minimum of two hours to complete. For years, Higgins has closely followed the Red-tailed Hawks that nest in Syracuse neighborhoods and within the Syracuse University campus. She details her encounters on her Facebook page, Red-Tailed Hawk Tales.
In 2016, Higgins donated the funds for the first Hawk nest camera on Syracuse University's campus. The camera was installed in March of 2017, giving viewers an inside look into the nest of a pair of hawks who resided on Lyman Hall. The pair was affectionately named SU-Sue and Otto. Since starting the nest-cam, Higgins has been able to keep a close eye on these ecosystem regulators, even transporting them when they are in need of rehabilitation. She keeps a record of hatching and fledging times of the progeny of five nesting pairs within Syracuse and observes the fledglings until they leave the area a few months later.
Red-tailed Hawks are the most common raptor in North America. They play a vital role in maintaining a balanced ecosystem by managing the population of rodents and small mammals. A study on Red-tailed Hawk nesting locations found that a majority of nesting sites are in highly developed areas. As a result, a large percentage of threats to Red-tailed Hawks are due to humans.
Among these threats is rodenticide poisoning. Higgins said rodenticide is one of the most substantial threats to hawk survival. A 2020 study found that exposure to second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide is common in the Northeast. Of the hawks tested in the study, 86% had anticoagulant rodenticide residue in their liver. While the Red-tailed Hawk population is currently stable, they still warrant protection and consideration from humans.
Another concern to Higgins is Avian Influenza. In Winter of 2023, the coupled pair SU-Sue and Otto passed away just days apart from each other. After a necropsy at Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostic Center, it was confirmed that both hawks died due to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). In the past few years, Avian Flu has been on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of outbreaks reported in 2020-2021 exceeded the combined total from the previous four years. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recorded 15 known cases of HPAI in wild birds in Onondaga County. Comparatively, in 2022, they recorded just four cases of Avian Flu in wild birds within Onondaga County. Avian Influenza is a growing concern that has seen significant increase in Onondaga County.
Higgins' passion for birding has evolved over time. She and her husband were birders, hawks being one of their favorite birds. When her husband passed away, hawks began to appear everywhere. Now, Higgins follows the hawks in his memory. "I just feel it's my philanthropy, you know,” Higgins said. “It's a way for me to give back and share joy." Since the installation of the SU Hawk Nest Cam in 2017, thousands of people all over the world have enjoyed watching the nesting lives of these majestic hawks. The nest-cam page has also reached classrooms in multiple states, entertaining students and teaching them about the natural environment.
"I just feel like this is my avocation now and my husband, it's in his memory," Higgins said.
Higgins photographs a hawk from her car window. (Photo by Vivian Nash)
If you find a hawk on or near Syracuse campus that appears injured you can contact the university's Department of Public Safety. "If you see any hawk hit a window, call if they look like they can't fly," Higgins said.