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Range
All states of the
US except Hawaii. Winters from southern Canada southward.
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Size
| Length |
17-22
inches |
| Wingspan |
44-48 inches (m)
47-56 inches (f) |
| Weight |
1 3/4 - 2 1/2 lbs
(m)
2 1/4 - 3 1/2 lbs (f) |
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Habitat
Woodland and field edges, grasslands.
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Diet
Mainly mammals such as rabbits, chipmunks,
squirrels, mice and voles; occasionally snakes or carrion.
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Characteristics
Very common and adaptable hawk. May hunt from
a perch such as the top of an oak tree near a meadow or
a telephone pole, but prefer to soar and watch for prey
movement on the ground below. Not particularly speedy
fliers, but powerful with excellent vision, are very quick
and strong when attacking prey. Excellent parents; very
protective of their territory, vigorously repelling intruders.
Juveniles (usually three) start learning to hunt soon
after they fledge, but receive supplemental feedings from
the parents during this period of their lives. Red-tails
do not feed or hunt together, but do form lifelong pair
bonds and tend to return to the same territory year after
year. Mature birds have a burnt-orange colored tail,
and a dark patch on the inside of the shoulder (called
the patagial patch). Juveniles have the patch, but have
a tail with alternating narrow dark/lighter bands. They
get their burnt-orange tail with the first moult, in
the early summer of their second year.
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