Overview
One of the few birds of prey that sail over the skies of the city of Toronto, the Red-tailed Hawk will leave you stunned with the size of its wingspan.
Measuring 43 inches from wing to wing, and bright red tail feathers, this bird is easily recognizable, even from far away.
Did you know? Whenever a bald eagle’s call is used in a television show, the audio is actually of a Red-Tailed Hawk. The Red-Tailed Hawk is used instead due to their higher shrill and more threatening sounding call.
This species is also solely monogamous and if their partners die during a hunt, the surviving Hawk will not join a new partnership.
There are even cases where the surviving hawk will pass away soon after due to the grief that they feel for the loss of their partner.
The Red-Tailed Hawk also goes through sexual dimorphism where the female tends to be much larger than the male. The male is also in charge of taking care of the eggs while the female goes out to hunt.
A pair can have up to 5 eggs a year during nesting season.
Their diet is a mixed bag of small mammals, amphibians, fish and other birds. They have also been known to eat small dogs and cats if there is nothing else available which has caused problems in urban areas.
Habitat
These birds are often not migratory, and usually stick to one place where they grow their young and allow them to grow up.
However this species is also highly territorial and once their young is old enough, they are forced to find their hunting grounds.
Three related groups of Red-Tailed Hawks are found on the North American Content, corresponding to climate preferences for each group.
The group in Canada spans from Nova Scotia to the Yukon and is primarily found in forested areas.
An interesting fact about these Hawks was that they were first studied with the population found in Jamaica.
Found On These ForestQuests
Threats
The Red-Tailed Hawk has healthy populations across the continent and is not threatened.
However, the biggest threat to these big birds is us as most Red Tailed Hawk deaths occur due to human interaction.
Being hit by cars, being caught in wind turbines and hitting building windows are the biggest killers of these hawks.
Due to their large size contributing to the force of impact when they collide with cars and windows.
Humans have also caused issues for these Hawks due to the danger they pose to small dogs and cats, with some humans trying to get revenge if their pets are targeted.
If you are affected by a Red-Tailed Hawk, it is recommended to contact Animal Services in your area so that they can safely deal with the animal.
Sources:
https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/8ea3-City-Planning-Birds-of-Toronto-Biodiversity-Series.pdf
https://abcbirds.org/bird/red-tailed-hawk/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/facts/red-tailed-hawk?loggedin=true&rnd=1740325806896
https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/on/rouge/nature/faune-wildlife/oiseaux-birds
https://highparknature.org/article/raptors-of-high-park/