Red-Tailed Hawk    Buteo jamaicensis

Red-tailed hawks prefer mixed habitat with open pastures, woods, streams and bluffs.  One pair may hold the same territory year after year, and are thought to mate for life (or until a mate dies).  In courtship, the pair soars about screaming, and the smaller male may suddenly dive from great heights toward the female; and as he approaches she may turn over, mid-air, and present her talons to his in mock combat.  Courtship flights may occur at any time of the year during fair weather.  During nesting, the pair is very protective of the nest area, and will even dive at humans if they get too close.

Red-tailed hawks hunt while soaring the natural circular air currents (thermals) that rise up from the ground.  Their exceptional binocular vision allows them the ability to pick up small movements on the ground below.  If a prey is spotted, the hawk will dive quickly (up to 120 mph) to capture it with its strong talons and carry it off to a tree or other perch to devour it.  A red-tailed hawk will also hunt from a treetop, telephone pole, or streetlight, swooping down in the same manner to claim its meal.

A hawk’s nest is large and bulky, often measuring 2 ½ to 3 feet across, and constructed of sticks, evergreen sprigs, and bark.  The nest is typically built high in a tree (50 to 70 feet or more), with ample view of the surrounding area.  In treeless country, the nests may be built on top of shrubs, cacti, or cliffs.  These nests may be taken over by owls (which are notoriously poor nest builders) during winter months after the hawks have migrated south.  Red-tailed hawks will migrate to a more mild area with more reliable food sources, and return to their territory the next spring.  In mild winters, hawks may stay in their home area.

When young hawks are hatched, both parents assume responsibility for their care.  Young hawks grow very quickly and are ready to leave the nest after about 45 days.  Immature red-tailed hawks look similar to the parents, but have brown, striped tail feathers.  After about 2 years, the juvenile acquires its “red” tail, and body color may change to a darker hue, but retains the light colored chest and underwing.