What is a Red-Tailed Hawk?

A red-tailed hawk is a carnivorous bird that belongs to a group called raptors, meaning birds of prey. Its scientific name is Buteo jamaicensis. Buteo is from the Latin word for broad, or rounded, and refers to the red-tailed hawk's wings. Jamaicensis refers to Jamaica, since the bird was first studied by scientists in the West Indies, but its range also extends throughout North America to Alaska and as far south as Panama.

These adaptable birds can be found in deserts or forests. The female is usually larger than the male, and both adults have dark brown heads and backs with a lighter underbelly and bright red tail feathers. A young red-tailed hawk can be identified by its brown tail, which turns to red in its second year. The average red-tailed hawk in the wild can live to be 21-years-old.

The birds have strong, hooked beaks and long, sharp talons or claws on their feet that they use to capture their prey and tear it apart if it is too big to be swallowed whole. A red-tailed hawk's eyesight is thought to be eight times greater than a person's, which enables it to spot from great heights the small rodents that make up the majority of its diet. In some parts of the US, they are called chicken hawks, because they have been known to prey on domestic chickens. They can also hunt rabbits, snakes and lizards.

Mating season for the red-tailed hawk is March through May, and great aerial mating displays can be seen then when both the male and female birds fly up high and then swoop down around each other repeatedly. Red-tailed hawks are thought to mate for life, and when they are ready to breed, both genders help to make large and shallow nests from small twigs. The nests are also thought to be used repeatedly and are added to year by year to repair weather or wind damage.

Female red-tailed hawks will generally lay two eggs a season. The incubation period is about a month, and during this time, the male red-tailed hawk hunts for food to bring back to the nest while the female protects the eggs until they hatch. Baby red-tailed hawks stay in the nest for a little over six weeks and by the fifth week will flap their wings in preparation to fly and leave the nest for the first time.

A Red-Tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, known scientifically as Buteo jamaicensis, which is widespread across North America. It is easily identifiable by its reddish-brown tail, broad wings, and soaring flight. These raptors are adaptable hunters and play a crucial role in the ecosystem by controlling rodent populations.

Red-Tailed Hawks are highly adaptable and can be found throughout North America, from central Alaska and Canada down to Panama and the West Indies. They thrive in diverse habitats, including deserts, grasslands, forests, agricultural fields, and even urban areas, making them one of the most common hawks on the continent.

Red-Tailed Hawks are carnivorous and have a varied diet that primarily consists of small to medium-sized mammals such as voles, mice, rabbits, and squirrels. They also eat birds, reptiles, and insects. Their keen vision allows them to spot prey from great heights before swooping down to capture it with their sharp talons.

To identify a Red-Tailed Hawk, look for its distinctive reddish-brown tail, which is usually visible when the bird is in flight. Adults have a broad, rounded wingspan and a stocky build. Their plumage is generally brown on the back and pale below, with a streaked belly and a dark bar between the shoulder and wrist on the wing.

Yes, Red-Tailed Hawks play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. As apex predators, they help control rodent and small mammal populations, which can prevent overgrazing and crop damage. Their presence indicates a balanced food web and they contribute to biodiversity by influencing the distribution and behavior of other species.

Red-Tailed Hawks are monogamous and often mate for life. They engage in spectacular aerial courtship displays before nesting. The female typically lays 1 to 3 eggs per year, which both parents incubate. After hatching, the chicks are fed by both parents and fledge the nest in about six to seven weeks, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.