harris hawk
1. Bird Name
English name: Harris’s Hawk. Scientific name: Parabuteo unicinctus
2. Appearance
Harris’s Hawks are renowned for their striking appearance, featuring a blend of dark brown and chestnut red colors with white-tipped tails. They have long, yellow legs, and a hooked beak optimal for tearing into their prey. Their eyes – a piercing yellow – are alert and always on the lookout for their next meal. Both male and female hawks appear similar, although females tend to be slightly larger.
3. Size
Harris’s Hawks are medium-sized birds, typically measuring around 46 to 76 cm (18-30 inches) in total length. They have an impressive wingspan reaching between 103 cm to 120 cm (40.5-47.2 inches). The female hawks outweigh their male counterparts, usually weighing between 710 to 1,020 grams, while males weigh between 530 to 730 grams.
4. Habitat & Distribution
The Harris’s Hawk is native to the Southwest United States, and can also be found throughout Mexico, parts of South America, and as far south as Chile and Argentina. It thrives in semi-wooded and open desert regions and is adapted to live in hot, arid environments.
5. Interesting Facts
Unlike many raptors that are solitary hunters, Harris’s Hawks hunt in groups, often known as “packs”, a behavior likened to the hunting methods of wolves. This pack hunting tactic makes Harris’s Hawk one of the most successful hunters in the bird world. Also, these hawks display a unique behavior called “backstanding,” where one bird stands on top of another, helping them gain a higher vantage point for hunting or thermoregulation.
6. Diet
The diet of a Harris’s Hawk mainly consists of small creatures including rodents, birds, lizards, and large insects. Due to their pack hunting behavior they are even capable of taking down larger prey such as jackrabbits.
7. Behavior & Sounds
Harris’s Hawks are social creatures, often found in communal nests. Their call is a harsh, high-pitched sound emitted when they sense a threat or during their breeding season. The sound is transcribed as ‘kee-yer.’
8. Conservation Status
According to the IUCN Red List, the Harris’s Hawk is currently evaluated as Least Concern. However, its population is believed to be decreasing due to habitat loss and human intervention.
9. Lifespan
On average, Harris’s Hawks live for about seven years in the wild but can extend their lifespan up to 20 years in captivity.
10. Additional Notes
In Spanish, the Harris’s Hawk is known as “halcón Harris” or “busardo mixto”. Interestingly, they are quite popular within falconry due to their sociable nature and intelligence, often being used in bird shows and demonstrations. Harris’s Hawks play an integral role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem by controlling the population of rodents and other small prey in their habitats.
