Today, we will tell you about hawk birds. The most searchable hawks. hawks which are considered a raptor are different from them in their size. They are big in size and shape while raptors are comparably short in size. So, in this article, we will tell you the most amazing facts about their size, food, and habitat.
Characteristic of Hawk Birds
- When chasing their prey or protecting their nest site, hawk breeds attack from behind, taking advantage of the element of surprise. They are unique among raptors in that the female is often bigger than the male.
- It uses a variety of feeding strategies, but raking, or closely following an animal’s attempts to flee, is the most common. After securing the victim with its powerful talons, it uses its highly pointed strong beak to dismember it.
- Sharp talons, a big, curved beak, and powerful legs distinguish them. Biting and ripping the prey is done with the sharp bill. They have exceptional vision. They can see eight times better than human beings.
- Generally, they produce sounds like a loud wailing whistle like the wood pewee, a melodious kee-you, and a high-pitched shriek is among the vocalizations of hawk Birds.
Types of Hawk Birds
There are at least multiple kinds of hawks in North America. In this article, we will tell you about the most searchable ones across the world. They are the Red-tailed, Red shoulder, Ferruginous, Gray, Sharp-shinned, Black, and Cooper’s.
Red-Tailed Hawk Birds
- Scientific Name: Buteo Jamaicensis
- Found across: They are found across every part of North and Central America.
- Red tailed Hawk size & Weight: They are 45–65 cm (18–26 in) in length and weight between 690 and 1,600 g (1.5 to 3.5 lb.).
- Their diet usually varies with season and location. But mainly it eats small mammals, birds, and reptiles. It also eats reptiles like snakes.
- All kinds of open habitats such as meadows, roadsides, fields and pastures, and tropical rainforests (in Mexico) are occupied by them.
- Lifespan: The average lifespan of this creature is 10-15 years for those in captivity, 20 years according to research.
- Red tailed hawk mate for the rest of their lives. Annually, the female lays one to 5 eggs.
- In the winter, the bulk of birds from Alaska, Canada, and the northern Great Plains migrate south for a few months before coming to North America.
Red Shouldered Hawk Birds
- Scientific Name: Buteo Lineatus
- It could be found on both the East and West coasts of the United States. From southern Canada to Florida and eastern Mexico, and west to the Great Plains, the eastern population lives.
- Size & Weight: The males measure 38 to 58 cm (15 to 23 in) in length, while the females measure 47 to 61 cm (19 to 24 in). Adult birds can weigh anywhere between 460 and 930 grams (1.01 to 2.05 lb.).
- Food: Small mammals, reptiles, snakes, and amphibians are all prey for them. They eat toads, snakes, and birds such as sparrows, starlings, and doves.
- Wet woodlands, particularly bottomlands river valleys, rivers, wetlands, and marshes, are some of the common habitats chosen by this creature.
- The average lifespan of this creature is 25.6 months, in the wild. The oldest red shoulder ever reported lived for 19 years and 11 months.
- They are monogamous. Males and females mate between April and July. The female lays 3 or 4 blotchy lavender or brown eggs.
- For the winter, birds from the Northeast and northern Midwest move to more southern states. Although some of them spend the winter in Mexico, birds are in the central and southern states.
Ferruginous Hawk Birds
- Scientific Name: Buteo regalis
- Found across: They are mostly found across the West and northern Great Plains.
- Size & Weight: The ferruginous is commonly mistaken for an eagle because of its massive body, large head, and broad wings & the Largest hawk birds. This species weight up to 4.5 pounds and the average size stands between 22 and 27 inches tall.
- Food: They eat small prey, pocket gophers, and kangaroo rats, as well as cottontails, mice, and other small mammals. They also eat birds, snakes, and huge insects.
- The habitat of ferruginous consists of grasslands, prairies, sagebrush steppes, and scrublands.
- The ferruginous is the largest buteo in North America with a wingspan of 53 to 56 inches.
- They are monogamous. Males and females are observed together only during the breeding season.
Cooper’s Hawk Birds
- A Cooper’s Hawk bird is a small to medium-sized bird. Mature Cooper’s are blue and grey colored and have light red washed bars on nonexposed body parts, whereas young ones are of brown color having horizontal patches on the chest.
- They Relate to the Accipiter bird family. The average weight of this particular bird is around 270 to 350 grams and measures around 35 to 45 cm in length. Generally, females are larger than males.
- Their natural habitat can be woodlands, river groves, or deep forests. In the majority, males build the nest and feed both females and babies.
- A Cooper’s is most active during early mornings and mainly feeds on small to large insects, snakes, lizards, small birds, and small mammals. They live a normal life of 8 to 10 years with some exceptions of up to 15 years.
Black Hawk Birds
- Generally known as Common and Great Black Hawk birds, these birds are native to Northern and Central American forests. A Black Hawks is a larger and more bulky bird than Cooper’s Hawks, it is almost double the size of Cooper’s. The average weight of adult Black Hawk birds lies between 850 to 950 grams and their average length is 50 to 55 cm.
- They are black-colored big Hawk birds with a white line on their tails and light patches on their underpants. You can identify a Black Hawks by looking at its wide wings, short tail, and comparatively long yellow legs.
- Their main sources of food are crabs, fish, caterpillars, grasshoppers, snakes, frogs, worms, and other reptiles.
- In most cases, Black Hawks live in a habitat near water bodies including rainforests and coastal mangrove regions. Generally, they have an average lifespan of 12 to 15 years.
Gray Hawk Birds
- Scientific Name: Buteo Plagiatus
- Found across: They are found from southern New Mexico and southern Arizona to central Texas, moving through Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica.
- They are small in comparison with the rest of the hawk’s family. The usual length of these birds is 18–24 inches (46–61 cm). While it weight 475 g which is about one pound (lb.).
- Food: Their main diet includes lizards and small mammals. It also eats rodents and large insects.
- Habitat: Grey Colored hawks prefer to be in a wide variety of environments, including thorn scrub, riverfront forests, forest edges, and open clearings.
- Migration: Birds from northern Mexico and the southwest United States migrate, whereas birds from further south usually stay there.
Sharp shinned Hawk Birds
- Scientific Name: Accipiter striatus
- Found across: It can be found throughout North, Central, and South America, as well as several Caribbean islands including the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
- It weighs between 114- and 218 grams. It is considered the smallest bird hawks in North America. Sharp Shinned Hawk is 27- 34 in length.
- They mostly feed on small birds. The most common prey are warblers, sparrows, and thrushes.
- They love to live in coniferous or mixed forests and avoid open areas. They also prefer coniferous woodlands, villages, and parks throughout the winter.
- The average lifespan of a sharp-skinned is around three years. However, certain individuals live for over 10 years.
- They usually breed once a year, laying 4 to 5 eggs. The incubation period is considered to be around 30 days on average.
Read Also: What Makes Osprey Bird Unique, Nest, Speed, Sound, Wingspan
Some Amazing Facts
- They are powerful birds. The group of hawks is called hawk-kettling.
- Don’t be frightened if you see a lone hawk` circling you. It is most likely looking for something to eat.
- These amazing birds are built to locate a target from afar and then fly down quickly to catch it,
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FAQ’s
Is eagle and hawk are same?
Eagles are much larger and have longer wingspans than hawks. Hawks have a similar appearance to eagles, but eagles’ wings are more rounded, and eagles’ tails are short, broad, and rounded, and they have a stocky shape.