About the Red-Tailed Hawk

Most often identified by a brick-red plumage of short, wide tail feathers, there are many subspecies of the red-tailed hawk that do not sport the coloring. However, these birds are skilled hunters and aerial acrobats. They can spot a mouse from 100 feet away. These birds of prey can be seen soaring over open fields or along wide stretches of highway across the country. They are North America's most common hawk.

  1. Climates

    • The climates in which red-tailed hawks thrive varies because the bird is found throughout North America. These hardy raptors soar over Alaskan tundra to the heart of southwestern deserts, from grasslands to wetlands, from mountains to valleys and from country to city landscapes. They also live in tropical rainforests of the West Indies and Central America.

    Life

    • Males and females are almost identical in appearance. The female is slightly larger. Red-tailed hawks generally mate for life and build nests with sticks and bark in high perches that they return to each year. Females lay one to five white spotted eggs. The pair takes turns caring for the eggs until they hatch about a month after they are laid. Chicks leave the nest at six weeks and can live in the wild for decades. The oldest known captive red-tailed hawk lived to 29 years.

    Hunting

    • Red-tailed hawks perch on high branches, buildings and telephone poles in search of prey. They also soar in wide circles scouting the roadways and fields beneath them. The birds descend in a controlled dive after spotting prey and use their talons to catch and kill. The birds feed on small mammals such as mice and rabbits and also reptiles, other birds, fish and insects.

    Protection

    • The red-tailed hawk's preservation status is of "least concern" because of their abundance throughout North America and beyond, according to the "Field Guide to Birds of North America."