Do Hawks Have Good Hearing? How Far Away Can Hawks Hear?

Everyone knows hawks for their eyesight, which is considered the best among all animals. Cool, right? But haven’t you ever wondered about their second most important sense, hearing? So do Hawks have good hearing?

Actually, the Hawks have perfect hearing. Like other birds, Hawk’s hearing ranges from 1000 to 5000 Hz (hertz). Hawks’ ears are slightly behind and below the eyes, covered with their soft feathers for protection.

In the rest of the article, I’ve discussed hawk’s hearing sense. So let’s dive deep to know more about one of the smartest and most intelligent birds in the world.

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The Hearing Process Of Hawks

The Hearing Process Of Hawks
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Hawks have an incredibly keen sense of hearing that allows them to detect the slightest of sounds. This sense is so acute that hawks can even hear the movement of their prey from a certain distance

But how exactly does the hearing of hawks work? Let’s have a closer look.

The ear of a hawk is very different from our own. Inside the ear, there are special feathers that help to funnel sound waves toward the eardrum. These feathers are called ear tufts. These play a vital role in the hearing process of a hawk.

Moreover, they have an exceptional ear structure that helps them to focus on sounds from a specific direction. For instance, hawk’s ears are located on the side of their head. So by moving their head, they can detect the exact location of a sound.

Through this, they can prey on anything that is hiding in tall trees or grasses. Their excellent hearing sense allows them to pick up frequencies that humans can’t even hear.

All of these factors make hawks one of the most efficient predators in the animal kingdom.

Everything About Hawks Hearing Sense

Everything About Hawks Hearing Sense
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As I mentioned before, hawks’ hearing sense is accurate. But they usually don’t need to use it much during hunting as their eyesight is the best in the entire animal world. Sometimes during land hunting, they tend to use their hearing sense.

Sometimes hawks use an amazing trick of sound to catch their prey. They make a shocking call that makes their prey scared and make a move. Following the movement they hunt their prey. Moreover, by using their hearing sense they can get alert of nearby dangers like hunters or other male Hawks.

There’s an amazing fact about hawks. Among the 200 species of hawks, some species tend to be monogamous. That means they would spend their entire life with the same mating partner.

During malting, the male makes a sound to inform his presence to other males. Through this, they want to claim their dominance over an area. Hearing the sound, other males stay away from that area to avoid an encounter.

Are Hawks Disturbed By Loud Noise?

Are Hawks Disturbed By Loud Noise
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If you have ever seen a hawk flying near a busy and noisy area, you might have wondered if the bird is disturbed by these noises. As hawks have an excellent hearing sense, it’s normal to assume that they will be disturbed by loud noise.

Some people like poultry farmers and small pet owners are often seen to use noise to keep hawks away. Most of them use ultrasonic bird repellers to create loud and irritating sounds for birds.

However, I’m not sure how effective this process is. A publication by the State University of New York College at Geneseo’s Department of Biology, authored by Robert Beason, claims that no type of bird has been observed reacting to ultrasonic sounds. But they are definitely scared of loud noise and the movement of large animals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Does Hawk Scream When Flying?

During malting, the male hawk makes a screaming sound to inform his presence to other males. Through this, they want to claim their dominance over an area.

Do Hawks Have The Best Hearing?

The Hawks have excellent hearing. But it’s not the best one. In the kingdom of birds, Pigeons and Bats have the best hearing. They can pick up low-frequency sounds that have no match with any other birds.

Final Words

Just like the eyesight, a hawk’s hearing is also acute. According to research, they can hear the movement of their prey from 3 to 4 miles. Through the article, I’ve tried to give complete knowledge about hawk’s hearing. Hope it helps.

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