Also referred to as a chicken hawk, this bird of pray is the most common hawk in North America (estimated one million) and protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
Carnivores, 85% of their diet consist of rodents, which they swoop down on and pin with their talons. They are also able to catch birds in flight, and may hunt in pairs.
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| The first time we have seen two together. |
These birds are known to live in the wild for as long as 21+ years. The oldest Red-Tail in captivity lived for 29 1/2 years.
The Red-Tail is a popular bird of choice in the sport of falconry.
Regarding the perched raptor on the fence near the squirrel:
ReplyDeleteLook at:
>Long tail
>Pattern on the tail
>Pattern on the chest
>Pattern on the face
>Seeing the backs (dorsal) of the hawk(s) would really help also
>Try to carefully observe the live hawk again - almost always better than a photo
>Compare to both Cooper's Hawk and Red-tailed in your books and and please let me know what you think
I think you may be correct. It may be a Cooper"s Hawk.
ReplyDeleteIt was a Cooper's. The long tail and overall structure immediately ruled out a Buteo and suggested an Accipiter. Then we had just had to make sure it wasn't a similar-looking Accipter such as Sharp-shinned Hawk.
ReplyDelete