This is probably the most common hawk in North America. If youve
got sharp eyes youll see several individuals on almost any
long car ride, anywhere. Red-tailed Hawks soar above open fields,
slowly turning circles on their broad, rounded wings. Other times
youll see them atop telephone poles, eyes fixed on the ground
to catch the movements of a vole or a rabbit, or simply waiting
out cold weather before climbing a thermal updraft into the sky.
At a Glance
Habitat
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Food
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Nesting
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Behavior
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Conservation
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Open Woodland
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Small Animals
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Tree
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Soaring
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Least Concern
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Cool Facts
Measurements
Male
Length
17.722
in
4556
cm
Wingspan
44.952.4
in
114133
cm
Weight
24.345.9
oz
6901300
g
Female
Length
19.725.6
in
5065
cm
Wingspan
44.952.4
in
114133
cm
Weight
31.751.5
oz
9001460
g
Relative Size
The Red-tailed is the second-largest Buteo hawk in North America,
after Ferruginous Hawk.
Other Names
Buse à queue rousse (French)
Aguililla parda (Spanish) |
The Red-tailed Hawk has a thrilling, raspy scream that sounds
exactly like a raptor should sound. At least, thats 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.
Birds are amazingly adapted for life in the air. The Red-tailed
Hawk is one of the largest birds youll see in North America,
yet even the biggest females weigh in at only about 3 pounds. A
similar-sized small dog might weigh 10 times that.
The "Harlan's Hawk" breeds in Alaska and northwestern
Canada, and winters on the southern Great Plains. This very dark
form of the Red-tailed Hawk has a marbled white, brown, and gray
tail instead of a red one. Its so distinctive that it was
once considered a separate species, until ornithologists discovered
many individuals that were intermediate between Harlan's and more
typical Red-tailed Hawks.
Courting Red-tailed Hawks put on a display in which they soar
in wide circles at a great height. The male dives steeply, then
shoots up again at an angle nearly as steep. After several of these
swoops he approaches the female from above, extends his legs, and
touches her briefly. Sometimes, the pair grab onto one other, clasp
talons, and plummet in spirals toward the ground before pulling
away.
Red-tailed Hawks have been seen hunting as a pair, guarding
opposite sides of the same tree to catch tree squirrels.
The oldest known Red-tailed Hawk was 28 years 10 months old.
Red-tailed Hawks occupy just about every type of open habitat on
the continent. This includes desert, scrublands, grasslands, roadsides,
fields and pastures, parks, broken woodland, and (in Mexico) tropical
rainforest.
Mammals make up the bulk of most Red-tailed Hawk meals. Frequent
victims include voles, mice, wood rats, rabbits, snowshoe hares,
jackrabbits, and ground squirrels. The hawks also eat birds, including
pheasants, bobwhite, starlings, and blackbirds; as well as snakes
and carrion. Individual prey items can weigh anywhere from less
than an ounce to more than 5 pounds.
Nesting Facts
Clutch Size
15 eggs
Number of Broods
1 broods
Egg Length
2.22.7
in
5.56.8
cm
Egg Width
1.72 in
4.35 cm
Incubation Period
2835 days
Nestling Period
4246 days
Egg Description
White or buffy,
blotched or speckled
with buff, brown, or purple.
Condition at Hatching
Tiny and helpless, unable to raise head,
and weighing about 2 ounces. |
Nesting
Nest Description
Both members build the nest, or simply refurbish one of the nests
theyve used in previous years. Nests are tall piles of dry
sticks up to 6.5 feet high and 3 feet across. The inner cup is lined
with bark strips, fresh foliage, and dry vegetation. Construction
takes 4-7 days.
Red-tailed Hawks typically put their nests in the crowns of tall
trees where they have a commanding view of the landscape. They may
also nest on a cliff ledge or on artificial structures such as window
ledges and billboard platforms.
Red-tailed Hawks are large, sharp-taloned birds that can be aggressive
when defending nests or territories. They frequently chase off other
hawks, eagles, and Great Horned Owls. Courting birds fly with legs
hanging beneath them, or chase and swoop after each other, sometimes
locking talons (see Cool Facts). Mated pairs typically stay together
until one of the pair dies.
Conservation
Status
via IUCN
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Least Concern
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Common, with populations stable or increasing across North
America.
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