Red-tailed Hawks are the most common hawks in North America. According to birdsoftheworld.org, there are an estimated 1,960,000 nesting Red-tailed Hawks on the North American continent, which comprises 90% of the world’s population. The balance of their population lives in Central and South America. The red-Tailed hawk is characterized by 18-to-25-inch length and a wingspan of about four feet.
The Red-tailed Hawk is generally 18-to-25-inches in length with a wingspan of about four feet. They weigh between two and four pounds. Their color ranges from brown to dark grey on the top of the wings and their back. The underside of these birds is cream-colored or light brown, but their chest and neck are the color of cinnamon. The hawk’s belly has a dark band. They display Reversed sexual dimorphism in that the female Red-tailed Hawk is larger than the male.
Habitat
The Red-tailed Hawk lives in deciduous forests and open areas like deserts, swamps, plains, agricultural lands, and tundra. This hawk prefers being in places with high perches, which it uses in searching for food. You will usually be able to find them sitting in treetops and on power poles while looking for their prey.
Range
Red-tailed Hawks breed mostly in Canada and the United States. They are also found in southern Mexico and Central America. Most birds in the northern parts of their range migrate to the south during the winter.
Subspecies
There are fourteen recognized subspecies of the Red-tailed Hawk. They are as follows.
- Western Red-tailed Hawk– The Western Red-tailed Hawk ranges throughout the western United States and Canada and as far north as Alaska. The southern and eastern borders of their range are not well defined. Source
- Eastern Red-tailed Hawk– The Eastern Red-tailed Hawk’s range is from southeastern Canada and Maine south to northern Florida and as far east as Texas
- Krider’s Hawk– During the breeding season Krider’s Hawks range in southern Canada from southern Alberta east to western Ontario. The southern reach of their range is from south central Montana east to southern Minnesota.
- Jamaican Red-tailed Hawk– The Jamaican Red Tailed Hawk inhabits the Northern West Indies including the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and the Lesser Antilles.
- Alaska Red-tailed Hawk– The Alaska Red-tailed Hawk ranges from the southern Alaska coat to the Queen Charlotte and Vancouver islands of British Columbia.
- Central American Red-tailed Hawk– The Central American Red Tailed Hawk lives in Nicaragua and Panama.
- Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk– During the breeding season these hawks live in northwestern Canada and Alaska. They winter in Nebraska, Kansas, Texas and Northern Louisiana. There is a marked difference between the sizes of these birds. Harlan’s females are among the largest of the Red-tailed Hawk subspecies while the males are much smaller.
- Florida Red-tailed Hawk– These birds live on the Florida peninsula year round. They are a larger Red-tailed Hawk subspecies. They are second only to the Southwestern Red-tailed Hawk in average size.
- Mexican Highlands Red-tailed Hawk– The only information I can find on these birds is that they are native to the highlands of Mexico.
- Tres Marias Red-tailed Hawk- This is a relatively small Red-tailed Hawk subspecies they are native only to the Tres Marias island which is 60 miles off the coast of Mexico.
- Socorro Red-tailed Hawk- These hawks are native to Socorro Island which is 370 miles off the coast of Mexico. They have a breeding population of fewer than twenty birds.
- Cuban Red-tailed Hawk– The Cuban Red-tailed Hawk is native to Cuba and The Bahamas.
- Southwestern Red-tailed Hawk– The Southwestern Red-tailed Hawk likes from the northern part of Chihuahua in Mexico to southern Texas during the breeding season. They winter in Arizona, New Mexico and southern Louisiana. These birds are the largest Red-tailed Hawk subspecies.
- Red-tailed Hawk kemsiesi– These birds are native to parts of Mexico and Nicaragua. Source
Life cycle
The bird starts breeding in March and may extend to May. Breeding birds are at least three years of age. The male and the female Red-tail engage in an aerial display in courtship where they soar and glide in circles. They then fold wings and start plummeting to the treetops. A pair of Red-tailed Hawks mate for life.
Both the male and female participate in building a nest with sticks high on a cliff or a treetop. The nest is usable year after another. The female lays and incubates between two and three eggs for 30 days. During the incubation period, the male brings food to the female at the nest. The male and the female participate in feeding the young ones.
Where do Red-tailed Hawks nest?
Red-tailed Hawks have variable nesting sites. For instance, they can choose trees often taller than the rest of the trees’ surroundings. They also nest on the cliff edges, on artificial structures like buildings or towers. They prefer nesting at the height of at least 120 feet above the ground. The nest is made in a bowl of sticks with an inner lining of finer materials such as leafy green branches.
What time of year do Red-tailed Hawks nest?
Nesting among the Red-tailed Hawks occurs between March and May every year. This is when the female lays eggs and incubates them for an average period of 30 days.
If something should happen to the eggs to make them unviable, and it’s early enough in the breeding season, the red-tailed hawk will usually lay another clutch of eggs. The male and the female assist one another in making the nest, incubating the eggs, and feeding the chicks from the time they hatch until their ready to leave the nest approximately six weeks later.
Do Red-tailed Hawks mate for life?
Red-tailed Hawks may mate for life because they are monogamous. The birds reuse the old nests they had used for previous mating seasons and do not build new nests for every mating.
Diet
Red-tailed Hawks mainly prey on small mammals, especially lagomorphs and rodents. They also feed on birds, reptiles, small fish, and insects.
How do Red-tailed Hawks hunt?
These birds search for prey by soaring or sitting on a high perch over open lands. These birds have excellent eyesight that enables them to spot the slightest movement in the grass. They swoop down upon their prey and kill it with their sharp talons.
Do Red-tailed Hawks eat cats and small dogs ?
It’s very unlikely, but if the size of your cat or dog is less than, equal to, or not much larger than the raptor in question, there is certainly a risk that they will become menu items. Raptors, in general, can lift only up to around the equivalent of their body weight.
For some comparison, a large Red-tailed Hawk only weighs up to around four pounds. An average cat weighs 9 to 11 pounds. Yorkshire Terriers weigh from four to ten pounds.
Do Red-tailed hawks hunt at night?
No, Red-tailed Hawks are diurnal hunters. They do not have night vision. They do, however, have vision that is sufficiently good to hunt at dusk. This is when nocturnal prey like rodents begin to be active.
Where do Red-tailed Hawks go at night?
Red-tailed hawks are not active at night. They neither hunt nor fly. These birds might be predators during the day, but they are potential prey at night. Owls sometimes silently swoop down upon them from above. Consequently, they find a protected spot to roost and sleep until daylight returns.
Do Red-tailed Hawks migrate?
Yes. Northern Red-tailed Hawks migrate to the far south. However, those living in the southern and central latitudes do not migrate. Most of the migrations among these birds happen during the early spring and late fall.
When your outdoors look up. The chances are pretty good that the hawk your seeing is a Red-tailed one.
They are, after all, the most common hawk in North America. They’re fun and interesting to watch, and their iconic screech will send chills down your spine. The world is a richer and more enjoyable place because Red-tailed Hawks are in it.
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