RED-TAILED HAWKS
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The Red-Tailed Hawk is very common in Kentucky, often found sitting on light poles above the Interstate. Their preferred habitat includes pastures, grasslands, and woodland edges, where they hunt for small mammals (rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, rats and voles), heavy ground birds (pheasants and grouse), snakes, amphibians and sometimes carrion. In captivity, we feed them rats, squirrel and rabbit. They are diurnal birds which spend most of their time perched, leaving it generally only to hunt (perch and pounce). They also hunt with a soar and stoop method. Sometimes pairs will work together to get a squirrel in a tree. They can spot a mouse from 100 feet, then power dive after it at speeds up to 120 mph. Adult Red Tails are recognizable by their red tails and a dark band of feathers across their white belly. Immature Red Tailed Hawks have black bands on a brown tail. Red Tailed Hawks make a loud "kree-e-e" call often used by Hollywood as a Bald Eagle call.
These hawks establish life-long pair bonds. They do not hunt or live together most of the year, but just prior to and during breeding season a pair can be seen perched together in the same tree. During courtship, the pair perform elaborate displays called sky dancing, involving dives, barrel rolls, and ascents. They even meet in the air, lock talons, and spiral downward until they part near the ground. RTH's begin working on their nest of sticks around the beginning of February, and will return to a successful nest site each year. The average clutch is 2-3 eggs, and the female does most of the incubation while the male feeds her. The young hatch after 28-32 days, and fledge at 44-46 days of age.
These hawks establish life-long pair bonds. They do not hunt or live together most of the year, but just prior to and during breeding season a pair can be seen perched together in the same tree. During courtship, the pair perform elaborate displays called sky dancing, involving dives, barrel rolls, and ascents. They even meet in the air, lock talons, and spiral downward until they part near the ground. RTH's begin working on their nest of sticks around the beginning of February, and will return to a successful nest site each year. The average clutch is 2-3 eggs, and the female does most of the incubation while the male feeds her. The young hatch after 28-32 days, and fledge at 44-46 days of age.
