Behold the real source of those 'eagle' cries you hear in movies

Last year we shared footage of bald eagles “showing off their vocalization skills” at the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka.

The vocalizations, while impressive, were nothing like the shrill cries dubbed into movie and TV soundtracks to make eagles sound as ferocious as they look.

“Did you know, Hollywood sound editors often dub over a Bald Eagle’s call with another bird’s vocalization?” the Alaska Raptor Center asked followers via X. “The piercing, earthy screams of a Red-tailed Hawk.”

On Monday the Alaska Raptor Center shared the accompanying footage of a red-tailed hawk named Jake delivering the “powerful, raspy scream that Hollywood likes to use.”

Red-tailed Hawks like Jake, a Raptor-in-Residence here at the Alaska Raptor Center, have a powerful, raspy scream that Hollywood loves to use. Whenever you hear a shrill raptor cry in movies or TV shows, it’s often a Red-tailed Hawk #NatureSounds #BirdsofPrey #DidYouKnow pic.twitter.com/uUgWBbTKCy

— Alaska Raptor Center (@RaptorOrg) June 17, 2024

The Center added: “Whenever you hear a shrill raptor cry in movies or TV shows, it’s often a red-tailed hawk.”

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology states on its website that red-tailed hawks are the most prevalent hawks in North America and provided confirmation of the Alaska Raptor Center’s declaration:

“The Red-tailed Hawk has a thrilling, raspy scream that sounds exactly like a raptor should sound. At least, that’s what Hollywood directors seem to think.

“Whenever a hawk or eagle appears onscreen, no matter what species, the shrill cry on the soundtrack is almost always a Red-tailed Hawk.”

–Red-tailed hawk image courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service