Fortune, Red-Tailed Buzzard
Latin Name
Buteo jamaicensis
Family
Accipitridae
LIFE SPAN
Wild: Many red-tailed hawks die young, with a large proportion surviving for fewer than two years. Those that survive their first few years may live well into their teens or twenties. The oldest known wild red-tailed hawk reached at least 30 years and eight months.
Captivity: Red-tailed hawks can live into their twenties when provided with suitable housing, nutrition and veterinary care. Captive individuals have been recorded living for at least 29.5 years.
Body size
Red-tailed hawks are large, powerfully built birds of prey with broad, rounded wings and relatively short, wide tails. Females are generally around 25% larger than males.
- Weight: Males approximately 690–1,300g (1.5–2.9 lb); females approximately 900–1,460g (2–3.2 lb).
- Body length: Males approximately 45–56cm (17.7–22.1 in); females approximately 50–65cm (19.7–25.6 in).
- Wingspan: Approximately 114–133cm (44.9–52.4 in).
Their size varies between individuals and subspecies, with birds from northern populations generally being larger than those from warmer southern regions.
Native habitat
Red-tailed hawks are native to the Americas. Their range covers most of North America, from Alaska and northern Canada through the United States and Mexico and into parts of Central America. Some subspecies are also found on Caribbean islands.
Many red-tailed hawks remain within the same territory throughout the year, although birds from colder northern regions may migrate south for the winter.
They are highly adaptable and occupy a wide variety of habitats, including: Grassland and open countryside, Farmland and pasture, Scrubland, Desert, Open and fragmented woodland, Mountainous areas, Parks and urban edges, Roadsides
They particularly favour open areas with elevated places from which they can watch for prey. These may include trees, rocks, fence posts, telegraph poles and other artificial structures.
Red-tailed hawks usually build their nests high in mature trees. Where suitable trees are unavailable, they may nest on cliffs, buildings, window ledges, towers and other tall structures.
Diet
Red-tailed hawks are carnivorous and opportunistic hunters. Small mammals usually make up the majority of their diet, particularly rodents.
Their prey can include:
- Mice, rats and voles
- Ground squirrels
- Rabbits and hares
- Small and medium-sized birds
- Snakes and lizards
- Amphibians
- Large insects
- Carrion
Red-tailed hawks commonly hunt from an elevated perch, remaining almost motionless while watching the ground below. Once prey is located, they descend in a controlled dive and capture it using their powerful feet and talons.
They may also hunt while soaring over open ground. Their excellent eyesight allows them to detect the movement of small animals from considerable distances.
Get to know Fortune
Fortune is now one of our older birds, with his species typically living for around 20 years in captivity. He is a highly intelligent and skilled hunter with a particular talent for catching squirrels, although he has never been especially fond of crowds. Fortune happily takes part in displays but is very selective about who he will fly to, only members of the team wearing a Coda Falconry uniform will do! He is undoubtedly handsome and full of character, although he can be a little grumpy in the mornings. He is also less than impressed when it is time to moisturise his feet, perhaps because he considers it beneath such a distinguished gentleman.
Fun Fact!
The red-tailed hawk has a distinctive, rasping scream that is widely used in films and television. When an eagle, hawk or other impressive bird of prey appears on screen, the call audiences hear is often actually that of a red-tailed hawk.
Its cry has become so closely associated with birds of prey that filmmakers frequently use it in place of the quieter or less dramatic calls made by the species being shown.