Here, in Albuquerque, the largest city in New Mexico, a few miles from the Big-I (I-40 east-west meets I-25 north-south), I have seen three species of raptors within a few blocks of my house just in the past two weeks: Cooper’s hawk (very common), sharp-shinned hawk (striking a tree full of white-winged doves), and a merlin (a small falcon frequently sighted between November and March). In the past year, along the Rio Grande in the heart of the city, we’ve seen a peregrine falcon, a nest with two baby great-horned owls, and others have seen bald eagles. Birds of prey seem to be thriving in Albuquerque.

Birds of prey