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Facts on the Texas Red-Tailed Hawk

The red-tailed hawk is one of the most common North American raptors. It can be found anywhere in Texas, with confirmed and possible breeding sites spread out across the state. Some of these birds are year-around residents, while other migrate from colder northern climates to spend the winter in Texas. The red-tailed hawk is easily mistaken for other birds, but some telltale characteristics distinguish this bird of prey.

Description
- A hawk's light underbelly makes it more difficult for prey to see.
  
  The red-tailed hawks found throughout Texas are built like many other predatory birds, or raptors. They have a short body and broad wings with rounded tips. The tail that gives them their name is short, with solid red feathers on the top and softer, pinkish feathers underneath. Males typically weigh between 1.5 and 2 pounds. The female is considerably larger, between 2 and 4.5 pounds.
  
  There is considerable variety in shading, and because Texas is one of the main migratory destinations for these hawks, many color patterns can be seen there. Most of the birds in the western United States are called light-morph, which means they display brown feathers on their backs and white or tan belly feathers. Rufous-morph birds have feathers more red than brown, and dark-morph birds have dark feathers everywhere except the underside of their wings. Albino and completely white hawks are not uncommon.
Habitat
- Open Texas landscape makes perfect hunting grounds for hawks, who eat small animals.
  
  Red-tailed hawks can be found in the state year-around, and numbers increase in the winter months as birds from other areas migrate into Texas. They are well adapted to the open but varied Texas landscape, able to nest anywhere from the tops of trees to rocky bluffs or even on top of tall buildings. They prefer wide-open areas to making hunting for small prey easier. They can be found from the Texas scrublands to the desert, fields and even in park areas.
  
  Because Texas is a migratory destination, other types of red-tailed hawks are often spotted during the winter months. Distinctive black and white birds are a species called the Harlan's hawk, which spends the summer in Canada; its coloring sets it apat from native red-tailed hawks.
Reproduction
- Young hawks are watched by their parents throughout the summer.
  
  These hawks are among the species that mate for life. Their sophisticated courtship ritual involves flying through intricate patterns in the sky, and it can include a midair dance between both birds. Birds can be seen chasing each other, and even grabbing each other in mid-dive, plunging earthward until swooping out of the fall.
  
  Once paired, the male and female establish a territory that they will defend against other birds. Nests are often reused from year to year, as long as they remain undisturbed. The nests can be up to 3 feet tall and more than 2 feet in diameter, and they will contain one to three eggs. The female cares for the young hawks, called eyasses, while the male hunts.
In Captivity
- Red-tailed hawks are prized by falconers.
  
  Texas red-tailed hawks have long existed alongside farmers and ranchers, who gave them the name of chickenhawk after their tendency to prey on roaming chickens. The birds preying on these chickens were typically young ones who saw an easy food source, and they were easily captured or killed. Now, they are protected by state and federal regulations.
  
  Red-tailed hawks are still often caught in the wild and raised in captivity. Birds that have left the nest but are less than a year old can be taken and easily trained in falconry. Although they thrive in captivity, they will quickly unlearn trained behaviors; this makes it possible to release birds back into the wild fairly effortlessly.

Animals & Science