Diets of Grassland Hawks

The proliferation of grassland hawks depends on the availability of their prey. The diet of the birds differs among different species. The grasslands of North America lie in the center of the country and are home to many varieties of reptiles, birds, insects and mammals, some of which are eaten by grassland hawks.

  1. Red-Tailed Hawk

    • The red-tailed hawk has a very varied diet. Indeed, Jeff Garrigues of the Department of Geography at the San Francisco State University notes that they are able to adapt their prey to the resources available to them. Most of the bird's diet is made up of rodents, but it also eats other types of birds, reptiles and insects. Some of its prey include rabbits, mice, squirrels, fish, snakes, frogs, grasshoppers, ducks and woodpeckers. The hawk hunts during flight and while perched and can see potential food from a distance of 100 feet.

    White-Tailed Hawk

    • The white-tailed hawk feeds mostly on rabbits but it can also be found feasting on other prey including grasshoppers, cotton rats, frogs, snakes and chickens. The birds have been known to flock to brush fires in order to catch and eat the small mammals trying to flee the flames. In the Dutch West Indies, lizards of at least 12 inches in length are preyed on by the hawk.

    Ferruginous Hawk

    • The ferruginous hawk hunts at low and high levels, swooping from the sky or jumping from perches, and normally eats jackrabbits, gophers, squirrels and prairie dogs. However, it has been known to prey on snakes and other small animals. Conservation organization Audubon claims the number of ferruginous hawks in the wild is declining due to a fall in the populations of its prey. The organization explains, for instance, that black-tailed prairie dogs, a main source of food for the bird, have declined because they have been by farmers, who view them as pests.

    Swainson's Hawk

    • Swainson's hawks are predominantly insectivores but will feast on small mammals during the breeding season. Grasshoppers, beetles and locusts make up a large part of their diet for most of the year and, when breeding, they will eat squirrels, rodents and reptiles. The bird has been known to hunt around agricultural land, swooping for insects disturbed by farming practices. The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology notes the diet of the hawks depends on where they are located. Those in Utah feed mostly on rabbits during the breeding season. Meanwhile, birds in Arizona will hunt for lizards and snakes and hawks in Canada will eat Richardson's ground squirrel.