Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Description: These birds are the most common hawks seen in North America, and are most easily spotted due to their large, wide, red tail. Red-tailed Hawks are a rich brown color on top, with a much more faded brown coloration on the their belly. Their bellies are usually streaked and sport a wide dark band that spans from their shoulder to the wrist. The tail is a reddish-brown on top and a pale brown below. Their wings are large and rounded, which gives them the ability to soar high above the ground, and ride the thermal allowing them to glide over open fields in search of prey.
Habitat: Red-tailed Hawks hunt prey in open fields, or forest clearings and therefore, set up nests along the outskirts of open areas. The nests are found almost exclusively in high trees, and this gives the birds the advantage of conserving energy by not having to lift as far to obtain their cruising altitude, but also allows them to spot prey from their nest. These birds also enjoy to perch in high places, and are not afraid to live in urban areas. This habitat choice is why many people have spotted Red-tailed Hawks sitting on light posts hanging over the highway, and why in large cities they can be found nesting in the lettering of tall buildings.
Diet: Red-tailed Hawks are not overly picky eaters and will eat almost any small mammal they find wandering in an open field or clearing. This includes: Mice, voles, snowshoe hares, jackrabbits, and squirrels. In addition they have been to known to eat smaller birds such as pheasants, bobwhite quail, and starlings. However, where food supply runs short these Hawks have been known to eat most any kind of snake as well as scavenge and consume carrion. Individual prey for a Hawk can weigh less than 4 ounces all the way to more than five pounds.
Behaviors:
Miscellaneous:
Habitat: Red-tailed Hawks hunt prey in open fields, or forest clearings and therefore, set up nests along the outskirts of open areas. The nests are found almost exclusively in high trees, and this gives the birds the advantage of conserving energy by not having to lift as far to obtain their cruising altitude, but also allows them to spot prey from their nest. These birds also enjoy to perch in high places, and are not afraid to live in urban areas. This habitat choice is why many people have spotted Red-tailed Hawks sitting on light posts hanging over the highway, and why in large cities they can be found nesting in the lettering of tall buildings.
Diet: Red-tailed Hawks are not overly picky eaters and will eat almost any small mammal they find wandering in an open field or clearing. This includes: Mice, voles, snowshoe hares, jackrabbits, and squirrels. In addition they have been to known to eat smaller birds such as pheasants, bobwhite quail, and starlings. However, where food supply runs short these Hawks have been known to eat most any kind of snake as well as scavenge and consume carrion. Individual prey for a Hawk can weigh less than 4 ounces all the way to more than five pounds.
Behaviors:
- Red-tailed Hawks are extremely territorial and generally defend a 1,000-meter territory. They have been known to attack other hawks, Great-Horned Owls, and even eagles from their territory
- They will use their wings to ride the thermals high into the air where they are able to soar with minimal effort
- Courting birds will soar high above the ground with their legs dragging beneath them pulling their weight downward. Red-tails will then chase, screech, and swoop after one another sometimes-locking talons and drop down to tree level
Miscellaneous:
- While the actual bird is almost never featured in movies, their screech is often dubbed over the voice of other raptors or eagles
- Red-tailed Hawk is one of the five largest birds found in North America with body length of around 56 cm for males, and 65cm for females but a huge female weighing at three pounds is 10 times smaller than a dog of the same size.
- The oldest Red-tailed Hawk was 28 years 10 months old
- Red-tails are one of the few raptors that hunt together, and have been seen guarding opposite sides of a tree to catch squirrels
- Red-tails mate for life