Three young Red-tails perch on their nest in a white pine tree . Pictured below : Adult Red-tailed Hawk .
belong to a group referred to as soaring hawks ( Buteos ). Their broad wings allow for lift which helps them circle up high into the sky as they surveil the landscape below . Other hawks , like the woodland Cooper ’ s hawk , with its shorter wings and longer tail tend to remain more earthbound and hunt inside a forest by using stealth and speed .
In the wild adult Red-tails have a life span that can range up to 25 years , although 10 to 15 years is more likely . In captivity they may live up to 35 years . Although Red-tails gain their adult plumage at the start of their second year , breeding maturity usually begins at age three . Courtship generally commences in mid- February with aerial displays by the male , diving down from above toward the female and then rocketing back up again . The action is reminiscent of a roller coaster going up and down .
By mid-March the pair will be well into nest building and laying two to three eggs . Incubation of the eggs lasts 28 to 32 days , and when the young hatch they will be covered with white , fluffy down that is slowly replaced by body feathers . By five weeks the young are strengthening their wings with continuous flapping on the nest , a prelude to their first free flight . Fledging occurs around seven weeks of age ( 42 – 46 days ), which generally occurs around mid-June . The parents will continue feeding the young for another four to six weeks or longer as they become proficient enough to hunt on their own .
As the largest hawks , Red-tails do catch and eat a wide variety of game . In fact , it is the Red-tail ’ s versatility when hunting that makes it the most wide-spread species of hawk in North America . Their universal taste includes nearly everything . Generally , field mice are their preferred quarry and make up to 90 percent of their diet , but Red-tails will hunt grasshopper with abound , pounce on lizards and snakes , and even the occasional bird . Being powerful however , also allows them to
24 wander I spring • summer 2023