CALIFORNIA RED-TAILED HAWKS

PHOTOS

Red-tailed Hawks are large and highly variable birds with brown upperparts, head and throat. The under parts are pale with brown streaks. The wings are pale with a dark bar at leading edge and tips of the wings. Their tail is red-brown with a dark terminal band. The Western Red-tailed Hawks are usually darker than their eastern counterparts.

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawks have a finely banded tail. The female Red-tailed Hawk will lay 2-3 white to pale blue eggs, sometimes spotted with brown. The eggs are laid in a nest constructed from twigs, lined with pine needles and bark, and built in a large tree. Eggs are incubated for about 30 days by both parents; the male may bring the female food while she is on the nest.

Red-tailed Hawks eat mostly small mammals, but also take birds and reptiles; male red-winged blackbirds are often eaten because of their vulnerability when guarding nests. The Red-tailed Hawk screams a loud, harsh, slurred squeal "keee-ahrrr" or "keeer-r-r-r" sound. Sightings of the Red-tailed Hawks are very common in our area.

For more information on Red-tailed Hawks, life history, and videos visit the following website.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology – Red-Tailed Hawk
VISIT