06/02/2026
Naturalist Journal
by Michael Nickell
Red-tailed Hawk
On Friday, May 22, Kelly excitedly came into the building looking for me. He had a surprise which he wanted to share with me near the pond and insisted I bring my camera. I knew that Kelly’s instincts, even about commonplace events in nature, are noteworthy and provide material for good visuals and an interesting story. So, we got into the mule and off toward the pond. The surprise was on the west end of the pond in the uppermost branches of a barren tree. The surprise was an immature red-tailed hawk feasting on a fox squirrel. Red tails typically feed on small mammals, birds, and reptiles.
I was surprised at how close this hawk tolerated my presence. Equally surprising, this hawk would not be distracted from its meal. I generally try not to make assumptions, but this time I made two: 1.) this individual hawk was an urban bird and accustomed to the presence of humans, and 2.) this individual bird was still learning how to hunt, and this squirrel may have been its first meal in some time. I noticed that there were no scraps left over, either on the branch or littering the ground. Eventually, the hawk did leave.
The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is one of the most common hawks in North America from western Alaska and northern Canada to Panama and the Caribbean. Red tails occupy a wide range of habitats and elevations including deserts and prairies, coniferous and deciduous forests, agricultural land, and cities. They are a federally protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Red tails are considered as partial migrants. Some migrate and others do not, depending on where they live.
There are 14-16 recognized subspecies varying in appearance with geographic range. There are also multiple color morphs (light, dark, rufous, and intermediate) occurring within each subspecies which is not tied to geographic range. Immature birds are often very difficult to identify.
The red tail is one of the largest species of the genus Buteo (broad-winged hawks) with females being a little larger than males. Pairs mate for life and will select a new mate only on the death of the other. I’ve witnessed red tail courtship behavior used to strengthen pair bonding, readiness for breeding, and establishing or reaffirming territory. In late winter to early spring, I’ve seen males in high circling flight with occasional dives and spirals. Most dramatic are the “cartwheel” displays when the pair lock talons in flight going into free-falling spins and aerial tumbles before separating.
Stick nests are usually constructed high in trees with the males gathering most of the construction materials and the female doing most of the constructing and arranging. Old nests are reused. A clutch of 1-3 eggs is usually laid. Nesting generally lasts 6 -7 weeks, both parents providing asymmetrical care: the male doing most of the hunting and provision of food; the female most of the incubating, brooding, and feeding of the young. Young red tails fledge and take their first flight at around 45 days, but the young still need much care, continuing to rely on their parents for food and hunting lessons for an additional 6-10 weeks and even up to 3 months.
So, I assumed the bird we were watching to be a newly liberated immature bird still learning through trial and error on how to survive.
Thank you, Kelly. This was a grand event to behold.
