Coastal Wildife & Native Plants: Red-tailed Hawks
Coastal Wildife & Native Plants: Red-tailed Hawks
By John Marshall
Of all the magnificent birds of prey found in North America, few are more widespread or familiar than the red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis). These are large hawks with broad wings designed for soaring. They get their name from the red tail feathers on most adults.
Red-tailed hawks are inhabitants of woodland edges and open fields. In these habitats they find most of their prey, consisting of small and medium-sized mammals and reptiles. When the opportunity presents itself, they will prey on bats, birds and even insects.
There 14 subspecies, or varieties, of red-tailed hawk in North America. They are found from Alaska to Central America and the Caribbean. Along the Gulf Coast, the most common variety is the Eastern red-tailed hawk, with its brick-red tail feathers, dark head and back, white underneath with a band of dark feathers across the upper belly. A lighter subspecies, called Krider’s hawk, from the Great Plains occasionally migrates through our area. It has white head and tail feathers.
Male and female red-tailed hawks look just alike. The females are about 25% larger than the males. Adult birds reach lengths of up to 18 inches with wing-spans of over four feet. Immature red-tailed hawks do not get their adult plumage (red tail feathers) until their second year. Their tail feathers are brown with narrow dark bands.
Red-tailed hawks require tall structures on which to perch, search for prey and build nests. Nests are made of sticks and twigs and are about 30 inches wide and four or five inches deep. They are usually built in late winter or early spring. Nests are built in trees, on ledges or human structures such as power poles. The same nest may be used for several years by a mated pair of hawks, which mate for life.
Once a pair of red-tails has mated, they establish a territory, which varies from 1 to 2 square miles. Both hawks defend the territory, which they remain on their entire lives. Around March or April, the female lays two to four dull white eggs. The incubation period is about four weeks. The female incubates the eggs while the male hunts for food and brings to her. After the eggs hatch, the male continues to hunt for the female and chicks, while the female stays at the nest to protect the young.
Red-tailed hawks are generalist when it comes to food. They will eat whatever is available, although studies show about 95% of their diet is small mammals, like mice and rats. They search for prey either by soaring above a field or meadow or by perching in an elevated location until they spot a potential meal. They can frequently be seen perching on telephone poles next to highways,, where they feed on mice and rats.
The prey is killed with their sharp talons. Small animals are swallowed whole while larger ones (like rabbits or squirrels) are torn into smaller pieces with their beaks. Hair and bone is compressed into pellets and periodically regurgitated.