Red-Tailed Hawk

QUICK FACTS

Length: 1.5 - 2 feet
Color: Brown back and face, white underside, light red tail feathers
Diet: Carnivorous (small rodents, reptiles and birds)
Habitat: Varied (desert, plains, woodlands, rainforests, etc.)
Average Lifespan: ~ 28 years
Nests: Tall trees, cliff ledges and the tops of buildings
Status: Least Concern, population increasing

 

Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis); Taken from inside the Boott Cotton Mills Museum

Red-tailed hawks in the wild build their nests in tall trees or cacti, but in Lowell you can find them nesting on the tops of buildings too! These birds love using height to their advantage. They will perch or glide high above the ground, using their keen eyesight to search for prey. Once the hawk has a target in sight, it will dive at incredible speeds to scoop up birds, mammals and reptiles.

These predatory birds help to control populations of small rodents and birds in cities like Lowell (rabbits, squirrels, pigeons, etc.). They also feed on house sparrows, which are an invasive species and often considered a nuisance in cities. The greatest threat to the red-tailed hawks is human interference, whether it be car collisions, habitat destruction or ingesting lead bullets from animals killed or wounded by hunters.