The Prince of Birds
If the American Eagle is the King of birds, and the Golden Eagle the Queen, then the Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, is surely the Prince. With his freedom to roam, beautiful, elegant, feather cloak, and his haunting cry, he’s a fantastic, great, awesome, amazing bird. He makes my heart glad and I never tire of seeing him.
Almost any day of the week I can find at least one red tailed hawk just minutes from my suburban Kansas home. Perched on a tall lamppost, or riding the air currents, he looks down disdainfully on me as I drive by.
Facts and Trivia
It’s no wonder the Red-tailed Hawk is pretty easy to see. He’s the most common and widespread hawk in North America. Suburban parkland and tree-dotted open farmland seem ideal for him. He loves any kind of post to perch on, the taller the better. He is monogamous, courts and feeds his mate, and nests in tall trees.
Books I’ve read say his favorite food is rodents. He will also eat smaller birds, reptiles, and insects. I’ve only once seen a Red-tailed Hawk in my own back yard. He swooped in between two Scots Pine trees and snagged himself a songbird. One of my friends told me that she quit feeding songbirds in her yard because her bird table had become a Red-tailed Hawk buffet location. She was pretty sure word was getting around and that she was seeing more than one individual.
Did you hear the red tailed hawk in The Lord of the Rings or Spirit? If you thought you were hearing an eagle it’s no surprise – film makers are tricky that way! If you are familiar with the call of the red tailed hawk you couldn’t fail to notice the switcheroo. I’m sorry, but the call of the Golden Eagle and the American Eagle can’t hold a candle to the wonderful freedom call of the red tailed hawk. No wonder they made the switch.
I find the Red-tailed Hawk easiest to spot in the fall. I’m guessing it’s the time of year when the population of full-grown birds peaks. A September or October drive through the Kansas or Missouri countryside is peppered with mile after mile of fence-posts adorned by young red-tails.
- Read more about the Red-tailed Hawk and hear his cry at the Cornell Lab Ornithology website.
- The Prince of birds comes with a variety of different cloak colors and markings.
Northern Red Tailed Hawk and Red-tailed Hawk photos reproduced under a creative commons license from FlickR.
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We have a lot of hawks around here, but I’ve never seen one up close to know what kind. I wish they’d get rid of the mice that live in my car.