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Wesley's Backyard Birds
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| The most common and widespread hawk in North America, the Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of open country. It is frequently seen sitting on utility poles where it watches for rodents in the grass along the roadside. It is one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk". The other two are the Cooper's Hawk and the Sharp-shinned Hawk. In the courtship display a pair of Red-tailed Hawks soars in wide circles at a great height. The male dives down in a steep drop, then shoots up again at nearly as steep an angle. He repeats this maneuver several times, then approaches the female from above extending his legs and touches or grasps her briefly. The pair may grab onto one other and may interlock their talons and spiral toward the ground. Approximately 60% of all raptors under 1 year of age taken from the wild for use in American falconry are Red-tailed Hawks. The American Kestrel make up most of the remaining percentage. This is largely due to federal laws restricting the possession of the other raptors. The raspy cry of the Red-tailed Hawk is used in movies to represent any eagle or hawk anywhere in the world. Size: 18-26 inches; Wingspan: 45-52 inches |
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