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The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is one of the most common hawks in North America. Their cry is also one you’ve likely heard before, as their screech is commonly used in lieu of a Bald Eagle cry in movies. Red-tailed Hawks are easily recognizable as they soar through the sky – look for their rounded wings, short tail, and reddish tail feathers. Male Red-tailed Hawks court females by catching prey and passing it to a female midair or by performing swooping dives. Sometimes, a pair will interlock their talons and spiral together towards the ground. A mated pair will typically stay together for life, and both will work to build nests using dry sticks, bark strips, fresh foliage, and other dry vegetation. In open habitats, such as deserts, scrublands, woodlands, and tropical rainforests, Red-tailed Hawks build their nests in tall trees, but in urban settings you can find their nests on the tops of buildings. Red-tailed Hawks hunt small mammals, birds, and a wide range of other small animals! They prey upon voles, mice, squirrels, pheasants, blackbirds, and even snakes. They can be aggressive toward other bird species infringing on their territory, chasing off other hawks, eagles, and Great Horned Owls. Many Red-tailed Hawks breed up north in Alaska and Canada and return to the lower United States and Mexico in the winter, so keep an eye out as the weather gets cooler!
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