The Red-Tailed Hawk lives throughout North America, from Alaska to Panama. Lives mainly in open spaces, woodlands, prarie, mountains, and plains.
The hawk is large and broad winged, 1' 7" to 2' 1" in length, and weighs 2 to 4 pounds. The female is usually somewhat bigger than the male. Adults have a dark brown back and are dark brown on the tops of their wings. Their tail is short and rounded, the upper part brick red. The breast is white, with a broad band across the stomach. Colored pale cinnamon on the neck and chest. However, their are so many sub-species of the Red-Tailed Hawk that these are just the most common markings. Immatures are generally colored similar to the adults, except for the red barred tail, which comes in during the second year. Notes- Reverse Sexual Dimorphism
They do not usually begin breeding until the third year of their life. A breeding pair builds a large stick nest in the top of a deciduous tree, although other trees may be used. The female lays 2-5 eggs between March and May, then incubates the eggs for 32 to 34 days. The young stay near the nest until they learn to fly, then trail their parents to learn how to hunt for food.
Soars in wide circles in search of small animals such as reptiles and fish, as well as insects. Their tail is dipped as to be almost vertical, so the red stripes are almost always visible on their tail.
Red-tailed hawks have made a huge recovery from the past when hawks were shot frequently. One of the most common birds in North America, the "red-tail" is a favorite of falconers and nature centers.
