Photo © 2005 Jim Jung and licensors. All rights reserved.

Red-Tailed Hawks

Red-Tailed Hawks – those large predatory birds seen perched near highways waiting for roadkill – manage to get their minds off food long enough in the late winter to ensure the next generation's arrival. These impressive aerial predators pair off, apparently for life, and each year the prospective parents rebuild the previous year's nest adding (under the strict supervision of the female) sticks in strategic locations.

Once the nest is refurbished mating takes place and the female proceeds to lay her eggs which she then incubates for two weeks or so while Dad makes himself useful by providing sustenance for the two of them. Once the chicks hatch both parents are kept busy hunting the mice, squirrels, rabbits, snakes and other small prey their growing brood requires.

Red-Tails are generalists when it comes to feeding and will eat everything from large insects to three day old carrion. These birds were once known - in a simpler time - as chicken hawks since they often raided flocks of free-ranging chickens and as such were persecuted without mercy. Now that free-ranging chickens are about as common as Whooping Cranes (and new laws recognizing the importance of predators have given them absolute protection) the pressure is off and hawk populations of all species - but particularly this one - have soared.

Offsite Links:

• Photos of Red-Tailed Hawks in action on the Illinois Raptor Center website
• Red-Tailed Hawks in New York City

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