| [[Red-tailed
Hawk ]] |
| Scientific Name: Buteo jamaicensis |
| Size: 18-25
in Wingspan: 4 ft. Weight: 1.25-4 pounds Lifespan: 18 years in wild and 29 years in captivity |
| Physical Appearance:
· Color: Chestnut red on the upper side of the tail, which gives it the name. Adults are dark brown above; white with bronze streaks below. · Wings and Tail: Broad to aid in soaring. · Eyes: Binocular vision enables them to see prey from far away. |
| Habitat: Mixed country with open fields and woods. |
| Diet: Carnivores · Main food source: Small mammals, including mice, rats and squirrels.Will also eat small reptiles, including lizards and snakes. · Feeding time: During the day. |
| Behavior: They
hunt while circling high in the sky. They are believed to mate for
life or until one dies. They also perch in trees and watch for the
slightest bit of movement on the ground below. |
| Reproduction:
Courtship fights happen at any time or the as long as the weather
is good. The male dives and screams at the female, who will turn over
in air and pretend to fight back. Pairs will claim and defend the
same territory for years. They build bulky nests of sticks, twigs
and bark, ranging from 2.5-3 feet across. · Clutch size: Lay 1-5 eggs, dull white with brown spots. · Incubation: Eggs are laid February to June,they are incubated 30 or more days. Young fledge 45 days later. Incubation done mainly by female while the male brings food to her. |
This website created by Karl H. at Fairfield High, Mrs. Link's Room A25
Multimedia class, Period 2
Photo from Michigan State University Envirosciences Division 3/14/03
http://www.cevl.msu.edu/~sg1410/docs/commonbirds_files/Red-tailed%20Hawk.jpg
References:
California Living Museum http://www.calmzoo.org/stories/StoryReader$75
University of Minnesota's "Bell Live" Electronic
Field Trips
http://www.bellmuseum.org/mnideals/prairie/fieldguide/rthawk.html
Henson Robinson Zoo, Springfield, Illinois
http://www.hensonrobinsonzoo.org/i002.html