| Common Name | Red Tail Hawk |
| Scientific Name | Buteo jamaicensis |
| General information | Red- tail hawks are one of the most common hawks of North America. These hawks are raptors and known as birds of prey. They have hooked bills and sharp talons. |
| Family | Accipitridae Includes Hawks and Eagles |
| Description | Adults are between 19 and 25 inches in body length and 2 to 4 pounds in weight. Large body with broad wings which span 46 to 58 inches and a short round tail. Red tail with or without terminal bar, dark brown back and top of wings, rusty to brown streaks on the belly and white breast area. Some Red-tails may appear very light while others maybe much darker. The hawks most often confused with the Red-tails are the Red-shoulders which are smaller and have rusty coloration on their shoulders and breast. |
| Where does it live | Open country near woodlands, wetlands, mountains and deserts, throughout Canada, North America, Mexico and into Central America? |
| What does it eat | Small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects. |
| What does eats it | Adults have few predators; however the eggs in nests and young fledglings may be preyed upon by bobcats, snakes, raccoons and coyotes. |
| How they hunt | They hunt while circling or perched in a tree and have binocular vision that allows them to see their prey from long distances. |
| Reproduction | Red Tails do not start breeding until their third year. Nests are large and bulky 2 to 3 feet across of sticks, twigs and bark, usually 15 to 70 feet from the ground. Mating season March to May pairs believed to mate for life. Clutches range from 2 to 5 eggs and hatch after 28 to 34 days of incubation. The female does incubation while the male brings food to the nest. Young fledge the nest 45 days later. |
| How long does it live | Around 18 years in the wild and nearly 29 years in captivity? |