Red-tailed Hawk adult in flight

Red-tailed Hawk Images, Facts and Information:

Buteo jamaicensis

  • Red-tailed Hawks can be found in every state in the U.S. except Hawaii and throughout most of Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
  • They are hawks of open country, fields, deserts, mixed woodlands, grasslands, roadsides, pastures, range and agricultural areas and will perch and nest on man-made as well as natural objects.
  • Northern Red-tailed Hawks including the Harlan’s subspecies are migratory while other Red-tailed Hawks are year round residents. Hawks that breed high in mountain ranges often descend to lower elevations over the winter.
  • Red-tailed hawks are monogamous and may mate for life.
  • Mated pairs will also hunt together.
  • They lay 1 to 5 eggs which hatch in about 30 days. Both sexes incubate the eggs.
  • Courting Red-tailed Hawks put on an aerial display that both sexes participate in.
  • Red-tailed Hawks are known to have extremely variable plumage, some of that variability is due to geographical regions the Red-tailed Hawks are found in and some variation is because there are light, intermediate, and dark morphs including Harlan’s Hawks which are darker overall.
  • Their diet includes small mammals including rabbits, jackrabbits, hares, mice, voles, ground squirrels, and rats. They will also consume upland game birds, passerines, lizards, snakes and carrion.
  • A group of hawks can be called a “tower”, “knot”, “spiraling”, “stream” or “kettle” of hawks.
  • Red-tailed Hawks used to be called Chicken Hawks.
  • Red-tailed Hawks can live beyond 21 years

I hope that you enjoy viewing my Red-tailed Hawk photos.

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