LOCAL LEARNING: An eye on the red-tailed hawk

One of the common birds to see in the Columbia Basin is the red-tailed hawk, often spotted gliding above grassy areas looking for prey.  

According to AllAboutBirds.org, this local raptor has a raspy scream that is often used whenever a raptor appears in a movie. That means the bald eagle or peregrine falcon shown in a movie likely doesn’t sound quite like you think it does, because movie-makers think the red-tailed hawk just has a cry that grabs audiences. So, when you see one out there, you’re seeing a celebrity of sorts.  

These birds are one of the largest in North America, but weigh in at only about three pounds. A dog of a similar size may weigh as much as ten times that amount. Birds, including raptors, often have lighter bone density, and their feathers are light as well, allowing them to fly, and keeping their weight low.  

Watching a red-tailed hawk try to impress a potential mate can be dramatic, with the male diving steeply and then shooting up again at a very steep angle. After a few of those diving displays, the date turns into a game of tag with the male tapping the female with his talons. Sometimes, the birds will grasp their claws together in the air and fall, letting go of one another before hitting the ground.  

The hawks have a long lifespan, with one being nearly 31 years old. The birds had been banded by conservationists in 1981 and were found still alive in 2011.  

    Do you love birds? Enjoy coloring? Color up this picture of the Red-Tailed Hawk and have an adult help you email it in to [email protected]. Make sure to include a note on what it is you love about hawks and living in the Columbia Basin.