Physical Characteristics
What do red-tailed hawks look like? Like many other hawks, they are large birds. They have sharp, hooked beaks that they use to tear apart prey. The sharp talons at the ends of their toes are their main weapons. Each foot has four toes, with three facing forward and one facing back. |
| A red-tailed hawk looks for prey on the edge of a field. |
Red-tailed hawks have darker feathers on the top, and have
light chests streaked with brown. But their appearance can vary across
locations. These different looks are called morphs. Red-tailed hawks have a
light morph, a dark morph, and an intermediate morph. But all red-tailed hawks
have a tail that is brick red on the top and pinkish to rusty red on the
bottom.
Habitat
Red-tailed hawks are adaptable birds, and do well in many
different environments. They can live in deserts, along shorelines, and in
meadows. What red-tailed hawks like best is an area that has lots of small
rodents, like mice and voles, and a high perch. The red-tailed hawk can sit on
the perch to watch for prey.
Do red-tailed hawks migrate? Some do, and some don’t.
Red-tailed hawks with good territory and lots of food will probably stay where
they are all winter long. But hawks without prime territory, especially younger
hawks, often migrate south for the winter. At Hawk Mountain, a bird sanctuary
in Pennsylvania, more than 3,000 red-tailed hawks are spotted migrating south
each autumn. Some go as far as South America, but others fly just south of the
snow line.
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| A red-tailed hawk in a field. |
Feeding Habits
Red-tailed hawks are adaptable hunters that can hunt many
different kinds of prey. They can live close to humans. After all, settled
areas like farm fields and yards often have plenty of mice and rats. Red-tailed
hawks have also been seen eating snakes, insects, and squirrels.
In the past, farmers considered these hawks to be pests.
Because they are frequently seen around farm fields, farmers thought that they
were eating chickens. Red-tailed hawks were commonly called “chickenhawks”, and
many farmers shot or trapped the raptors. However, scientists have found that few red-tailed hawks
prey on farm chickens. In fact, red-tailed hawks are much more likely to help a
farmer by eating farm pests. Today, farmers value red-tailed hawks and are glad
to see them in the fields.
Amazing Hawks
Red-tailed hawks are fast. While they can’t reach the 200
miles per hour of the peregrine falcon, they have been clocked flying at 120
miles per hour. This speed allows them to capture their prey.
These hawks have amazing eyesight. Some scientists estimate
that they can see five to eight times better than people can. Like people,
red-tails can see colors. Their eyes also have colored oils that refract light,
causing some colors, like blue and green, to be filtered. This helps the hawks
to see the brown and gray colors of their prey more clearly against green grass
and fields.
The next time you happen to ride by meadows and fields, look
in the trees. Look at the fence posts and telephone poles. Maybe you’ll see a
red-tailed hawk, searching the field for its prey.
Text and photos by Emily Kissner. All rights reserved.
