Hobbies And Interests
Defining the Ecosystem
An ecosystem is the entire biological environment of a given place, including nonliving components, such as rocks and air, and living components, including, plants and animals. With this wide definition, a hawk's ecosystem includes the air it flies in, the trees it nests in, the animals it feeds on, the animals or plants the prey feeds on, and the habitats of its prey. In most areas where hawks live, they are at the top of the food chain, which extends from the berries and bugs eaten by the hawk's prey, all the way to the hawk itself.
Habitat of a Hawk
Each species of hawk requires a slightly different habitat, but there are a number of common factors. Hawks require trees for nesting and open spaces like fields or open air for hunting. Hawks will typically feed and roost along the edges of forests. Some breeds of hawk prefer to live near bodies of water, while others live in prairies or deserts.
The Hawk's Prey
Just as different species of hawk have different requirements for living spaces, different species eat different foods. However, all hawks are predators and will eat anything from frogs and snakes to mice and rabbits. Some breeds of hawk even eat other birds, catching them in the air. Because hawks are the largest predator in their ecosystem, they are at the top of their food chain, and few other animals feed on hawks. They are important in their ecosystem because they help to control the populations of smaller animals, such as mice and snakes, which otherwise might become pests.
Threats
Although the hawk is at the top of its food chain, it does face a number of threats. Some small hawks may be eaten by larger birds of prey. Like all birds, hawks face collisions with vehicles, destruction of their environments, deforestation, poisoning by pesticides, and other human damage to their ecosystem. Many people shoot hawks. Because of human destruction of their environment through construction, pollution, and even farming, humans are the greatest threat to hawks.