RED TAILED HAWK

ORDER

Falconiformes (diurnal birds of prey)

FAMILY

Accipitridae (eagles, hawks and kites)

HABITAT AND RANGE

Red tailed hawks can be found throughout the United States, Southern Canada and Central America. Birds in the northernmost latitudes may migrate south for the winter. The red-tailed hawk lives in deciduous forests and open areas like swamps, deserts, tundra, plains and agricultural lands.

IDENTIFICATION

Red tailed hawks grow to 18-25 inches in length with wingspan of up to 4 feet and weigh as much as 3 lbs on average. It is dark brown and sometimes gray on its back. The belly is often cream colored with dark spotting; underneath the wing they are brown and with cream colored wingtips. The tail is a rusty red color, hence the name. Females are slightly larger than males.

DIET

Red tailed hawks have excellent eyesight and can spot the movement of small mammals from hundreds of feet in the air. They hunt small rodents, rabbits and snakes and will sometimes fish and hunt reptiles. They use their powerful sharp talons to grip and kill their prey.

REPRODUCTION AND LIFESPAN

Breeding season occurs during late March through early May. Sexual maturity is reached after 3 years. Courtship includes extravagant aerial displays between the male and female couple. Mated pairs occupy territories of up to two square miles. The male will patrol the territory while the female is very aggressive in defending the nest area. Mated pairs will remain monogamous for life. Females lay 2-3 eggs and incubate them for about a month. The male provides food to the female during incubation and both the male and female care for the young. The chicks are fledged after about 45 days. True to many bird species, only 1 or 2 chicks will survive. The smallest chick will often be bullied and killed by its siblings.

NOTES

The raspy call of the red tail is often used as the generic eagle cry for movies. The eyes of all raptors bless them with very keep eyesight. Having such large eyes, however, doesn’t allow any room for muscle to move the eyeball. Because of this, raptors must move their heads whenever they want to look around because their eyes are stationary in their head. Birds of prey have a special adaptation in which body can move independently from their head. If they are perched on a swaying tree branch, their head remains stationary while their body sways with their branch. This allows them to keep their gaze fixed on potential prey.