- The red-tailed hawk is the most widespread type of hawk in North America.
The hawk is a small to medium-sized bird of prey. Birds of prey are carnivorous, which means they eat other animals for food. The term hawk is used for many kinds of birds, including true hawks, kites, buzzards, harriers, and falcons. Although many people believe hawks are harmful, they are useful to humans because they eat rodents and other pests. Where hawks liveHawks are found on the six major continents. Most hawks nest in trees. However, some hawks nest on the ground in grassy places, and others nest on cliffs. Types of hawksHawks tend to have a long tail and short, rounded wings. These features allow them to fly fast and low. Two typical hawks are the sharp-shinned hawk and Cooper's hawk. Sharp-shinned hawks are about 12 inches (30 centimeters) long. They have a gray back and a rusty brown underside. The Cooper's hawk is larger than the sharp-shinned hawk. It is 14 to 20 inches (36 to 51 centimeters) long. It has a blue-gray back, and its tail has several dark bands and a band of white at its tip. The red-tailed hawk is the most common North American variety. It is about 19 to 24 inches (48 to 61 centimeters) long. It varies in color but is usually brownish above and lighter below with a reddish tail. The underbelly has a dark band across it. The soft skin at the base of the bird's beak, legs, and feet are all yellow. BehaviorHawks use many techniques for finding food, but the most common one is called raking. When a hawk rakes, it swiftly follows its prey as it tries to escape. Once the hawk has caught its prey with its powerful talons (claws), the bird tears it apart with its sharply pointed, strong beak. Hawks lay between three to six brown-spotted eggs. |