Red-tailed Hawk

by Adele Moore

The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is one of the most common raptors in North America, so it is not surprising that we see a great number of them at CWC. Formerly called chicken hawks because of their occasional tendency to prey on game birds, many farmers now realize that these birds are actually desirable to have around since their diet consists mainly of rodents, rabbits, and snakes.

Often these birds are seen sitting on top of fence posts along the side of the road, at the top of trees near an open field, or soaring over fields and forests. Red-tailed hawks are migratory but in our area they are present throughout the year, because those that go south for the winter are replaced by others moving down from higher elevations as temperatures drop.

As is the case of many raptors, female red-tails are larger than males. This adaptation allows for the most efficient use of available prey in a given area since each member of a pair feeds on prey suited to its own size. Mating pairs are monogamous, and courtship displays can be observed in late winter or early spring and sometimes involve aerial displays during which the pair interlock their talons and free fall through the air. Their distinctive whistle (a contact call between mates) is easily recognized throughout this season.

About four eggs are laid in a nest typically built of sticks at the top of a tall, deciduous tree near the edge of a field. The eggs hatch asynchronously, meaning that the offspring differ in size and stages of development. Often the larger ones survive and the smaller ones do not. This asynchronous strategy usually assures the survival of at least one baby.

The parents play equal roles in feeding the young offspring and fledglings are ready to fly by mid-June. Juveniles do not have red tail feathers and have a more mottled coloration than adults. Generally, birds less than two years old have bands of brown and white on the tail.

Volunteers at CWC have the unique opportunity to observe red-tailed hawks up close and approximate age by eye color. Upon hatching, the eyes are blue, after which they turn yellow. Adult birds have brown eyes.

These birds have great eyesight and can see their prey from two kilometers away, making them effective hunters. As is the case for all birds of prey, red-tails kill their prey with their razor-sharp talons. The talon on the back toe, the halux, curves at a nearly 90-degree angle, and combined with a unique network of tendons in the leg that clamp the foot closed, the hawk can make a meal of a wriggling rat in short order.