Of all the hawks in North America, the Red-tailed hawk is the most common and is a constant resident of the Okefenokee. Feeding on rodents, rabbits, squirrels, some birds, and even an occasional insect, the Red-tailed hawk presents a magnificent sight as she rakes along behind her fleeing prey, waiting for a moment of indecision. When that moment comes, she seizes the animal in her powerful talons and crashes to the ground with it. Chattering away and constantly diving into the water for another minnow, the belted kingfisher is most at home in the watery wilderness of the Okefenokee. This bird is similar in appearance to a blue jay but is a larger bird with an entirely different lifestyle.
Most kingfishers make their nests by burrowing into a sandy bank.
This acrobatic showman is a common sight when canoeing through the swamp. Egrets were nearly eliminated from the planet in the early nineteenth century to obtain their exquisite breeding plumage for the ladies formal hat industry. The Inn at Folkston. All Rights Reserved.