Red-Tailed Hawk Facts for Kids

Red-tailed hawks cover much of the United States, Canada, Central America and even the West Indies. They are the most common bird of prey on the North American continent. These birds of prey get their name from the rusty red tail that is common to their species. They can be 26 inches tall with a wingspan of up to 43 inches. Unlike humans, female red-tailed hawks are usually larger than males. They can live up to 21 years in the wild.

  1. Where to Find Them

    • Red-tailed hawks are aerial hunters, meaning they attack their prey from the air. They need open spaces to spy on their prey and plenty of room to dive in for a kill. You are most likely to find red-tailed hawks in wide open spaces, especially fields where mice, rats and rabbits are plentiful. Keep an eye out for them in mountains and deserts as well. Red-tailed hawks are territorial and often live and hunt near the same fields throughout their lives.

    Born to Hunt

    • These birds are designed to hunt. They eat small mammals such as mice and rabbits. Their keen eyesight allows them to spot their meals from 100 feet in the air. Their claws, known as talons, help them grasp their prey when they dive from the air, feet first, to make a kill. A red-tailed hawk's beak curves at the end to allow the bird to tear through its meal.

    Flirting

    • Once a red-tailed hawk chooses a mate, they stay together for the rest of their lives. They even start their relationship by flirting with one another. This flirtation looks like a dance in the air. At the end of the dance, the hawks lock their talons together and allow themselves to plummet toward the earth. Before they hit the ground, they release their grip on each other and soar back up into the air.

    Did You Know?

    • If you live in a city with no open fields and want to spot a red-tailed hawk, don't give up. A red-tail known as Pale Male nests on an apartment building in New York City. A fully grown red-tailed hawk is one of the largest birds of prey in North America, but it weighs only 3 lbs. According to the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, a dog the same size as a red-tailed hawk would weigh at least 30 lbs. The hawk's lightweight build allows it to move easily through the air in search of prey. Red-tailed hawks are one of the only birds of prey that truly scream, like what you hear in the movies.