Feeding Habits
Taxonomy
They are carnivorous, opportunistic feeders,
consuming mainly small mammals, birds, and
reptiles, and hunt from elevated perches, swooping
down to seize prey either in mid-air or low to the
ground.
Reproduction
Breeding season initiates a spectacular
sequence of aerial acrobatics. Hawk
pairs fly in large circles and gain great
height before the male plunges into a
deep dive and subsequent steep climb
back to circling height. Later, the birds
grab hold of one another with their
talons and fall spiraling towards earth.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Accipitridae
Subfamily:
Genus: Buteo
Species: Buteo jamaiscensis
Life Cycle
It lives throughout most of North America, from western
Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and
the West Indies, and is one of the most common buteos in North
America. The Red-tailed Hawk has an average life span of 21
years.
Habitat and Habits
Common across a wide range of the world, from central Alaska,
east to the Maritime Provinces of Canada, and south to Florida
and Central America, this hawk prefers mixed forest and field,
with high bluffs or trees that may be used as perch sites. As long
as it can find perch sites, they can live in widely varied
landscapes, including cities and alongside highways where utility
poles provide the perfect habitat for perch-hunting.
References
"Red-Tailed Hawk." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2013.
"Red-tailed Hawk." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 July 2013. Web. 30 July 2013.
"Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo Jamaicensis." Red Tailed Hawk. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2013.
Phylogeny and
Morphology
The Red-tailed Hawk(Buteo
jamaicensis) is a bird of prey, one of
three species colloquially known in
the United States as the
"chickenhawk," though it rarely preys
on standard sized chickens. They
come from the Phylum chordata, It is
one of the largest members of the
genus Buteo in North America,
typically weighing from 1.5 to
3.5 pounds and measuring 18 to
26 in. in length, with a wingspan from
110 to 145 cm (43 to 57 in). The Redtailed Hawk displays sexual
dimorphism in size, with females
averaging about 25% heavier than
males.
Interesting fact
The oldest known Red-tailed Hawk
was 28 years 10 months old.
Whenever a hawk or eagle appears on
screen the shrill cry on the soundtrack
is almost always a Red-tailed Hawk.