Rainy days and Sundays always get me down when I can not garden!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

RED- TAIL HAWKS


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.

The first time we have seen two together.
Red-Tails are monogamous, mating for life, or until a mate dies.  The  females are 25% heavier then the males.

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.

3 comments:

  1. Regarding the perched raptor on the fence near the squirrel:
    Look 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

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think you may be correct. It may be a Cooper"s Hawk.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It 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