Species Spotlight: Red-tailed Hawk
Looks Like: A large hawk with broad, rounded wings and a short, wide tail. Their feathers are brown above with a streaked underside. The hawk gets its name from a distinctive red above with pale coloring below.
Lives In: Red-tailed hawks can occupy many different types of open habitat across North America. In the Shawangunks they tend to live in grasslands, fields and pastures.
Niche: They are predictors that mostly hunt small mammals including mice, voles, rabbits, and squirrels. They will also eat birds, snakes and sometimes carrion. They can catch prey that weighs more than 5 pounds.
Threats: Red-tailed hawk populations have increased throughout their range and are a species of least concern.
Frequency: This hawk is probably the most common in North America.
Reproduction: A pair will build their nest near the top of a tall tree, on a cliff ledge, or even a window ledge. They will lay a clutch of 1–5 eggs which hatch in 28–35 days.
Fun Fact: While raptors are predators, they don’t always win. Smaller birds will sometimes gather around and harass a Red-tailed Hawk to drive it away. It’s called mobbing. Hawks have also been seen hunting in pairs to catch prey.
