Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

On Apr 13, 2021, jackiescompost from Mission Viejo, CA (Zone 10a) wrote:

To 006966 in Bluffton... I know how you feel. While the hawk is a beautiful and impressive bird, I hate it when they visit my yard for the bird buffet. Because of a recent outbreak of pine siskin salmonellosis, we took down all of our feeders for the recommended time. Before that, we had a Red-tailed Hawk frequenting our feeders for birds. During this time, the red-tailed hawk has left our feeders for better hunting elsewhere. The last straw for me was when I heard a very loud bang on our sliding glass door where at its base, I found a stunned red-tailed hawk with a wide-eyed, terrified dove captured in its talons. I banged hard on the glass door and the hawk immediately took off with its catch. We took down all our feeders because of this and because of the pine siskin threat. Th... read moree hawk is gone. We have put out minimal feeders again but are only feeding orioles and other birds who, because of their diet, are not affected by the pine siskin outbreak. Our doves are gone, but we have not seen the hawk for weeks.

On Mar 8, 2021, 006966 from Bluffton, SC wrote:

I'm sorry, but I am not a fan of the red tailed hawk. They have taken several red cardinals while feeding at my bird feeders over the years. It is very sad to watch and hear the cardinals screeching as they are carried away by the hawk!
Wish there was something I could do to stop this but I guess it's just the survival of the fittest.
I live in Bluffton, SC.

On Mar 1, 2016, CrystalCat from Los Angeles, CA wrote:

We have these beautiful birds flying around us all the time. I live around Beverlywood,(Los Angeles) California

On Oct 4, 2010, bonehead from Cedarhome, WA (Zone 8b) wrote:

A common sight for us.

On Feb 11, 2009, MichaelZ from Portland, OR (Zone 8a) wrote:

I have a pair that hunts in my part of the city and they are great to watch. And, it is fun to watch them battle with the crows guarding their own nests. A hawk landed across the street from me one spring day and I swear crows came flying from miles away to deal with the threat. It was a Hitchcockian experience.

Z

On Feb 8, 2009, Malus2006 from Coon Rapids, MN (Zone 4a) wrote:

Seemly like the population of red tail hawk in the Twin Cities have make a big jump in recent years - now can be seen pretty much all year round - they loves large open spaces and roadside - mainly commonly near intersections with a small patch of wild forest nearby. Often I have seen them perching in trees - usually the most exposed tree, sometimes lightposts and once in a while signs and lower in trees - can be seen by their large size and white breast when driving. In fact for me, driving is the best way to see those raptors. Their huge size (they are the biggest of all the hawks in the region - only eagles, some owls, and vultures are bigger) make them a easy id. Only the migrantary and uncommon red shoulder hawk comes closer to size but like I said they are uncommon to rare in the are... read morea.

What they feed on in winter is unknown, but other birds may be a suspect as I have not seen marks of them impacting the snow on the roadside as there are very few footprints humans or animals on roadside snow during winter, mostly around drain pipes (rats, maybe?) and good size wetlands. Voles are active during wintertime and are more common than most people think, usually burrowing under the snow.

I have seen at least one carrying a blackbird being chased by other blackbirds and have seen one land in the center strip, maybe after some rodent?

Roadsides are rodent heaven as there are few other predators around to keep their numbers down because of car death rate.