What is the red-tailed hawk?
Q: What is the red-tailed hawk?
A: The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a buzzard, also known as a chickenhawk. It is a bird of prey.
Q: Where does the red-tailed hawk breed?
A: The red-tailed hawk breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to Panama and the West Indies.
Q: How much does the red-tailed hawk weigh?
A: The red-tailed hawk can weigh anywhere from 1.5 lb (1 kg) to 3.5 lb (2 kg).
Q: What does the red-tailed hawk eat?
A: The red-tailed hawk is a carnivore and eats shrews and mice that it can spot with its keen eyesight.
Q: How fast can the red-tailed hawk swoop down on its prey?
A: The red-tailed hawks can swoop down at speeds of up to 80 mph per hour, allowing them to pick up their prey in less than 5 seconds.
Q: Why are they preferred for falconry purposes?
A: Red-tails are preferred for falconry purposes because they are so common and easily trained, but only passage hawks (which have left the nest but are less than a year old) may be taken in order not to affect breeding populations. Passage hawks also have not yet developed adult behaviors which would make training more difficult.
Q: Is it illegal to take adults for falconry purposes?
A: Yes, it is illegal to take adults for falconry purposes since they may be breeding or rearing chicks.
