Here is a picture Grandma took of a Hawk in Flight.
Here is a picture Grandpa took of Grandma taking the picture of a hawk in flight.
Hawks
are predatory birds, also called raptors. Hawks have excellent
hearing, curved beaks, taloned feet, and the best eyesight of any animal,
including humans. Research
found that a hawk can react to a rabbit from a distance of two miles.
Hawks,
like lots of birds, pair with a mate for life. The pair will return to the same nesting site year after year to raise the kids. If one dies the other will try to find a new partner and will build a new nest, even if they go back to the same area.
Most
hawks would rather run away than fight.
They are sometimes harassed by other birds, such as owls or crows or starlings. Have you ever seen a hawk being chased by smaller birds?
Hawks mostly hunt by sitting on a perch and watching for
prey. When they see their food, they
swoop down to the ground after it. Rarely, they will also fly in search of
prey. They usually go for small mammals, like mice chipmunks and shrews.
Here is a picture Grandma took last fall of a hawk in our yard. This one is a fledging red tail. She has a mouse in her talon which she is hiding under her feathers while she perches on one leg.
Here is a picture Grandma took through the window of our truck just after the fledgling red tail dove down onto our driveway to catch the mouse. Fledglings are the young birds which have just learned to fly and are trying to live without their parent's support. Fledglings often make mistakes. Like not looking for a truck coming up the road before going after a meal.
Grandma and Grandpa hope you have enjoyed learning about hawks. Hawks live everywhere. Even in Big Cities. Perhaps you will see a hawk circling high in the sky.
Loads of Love.
