Animal Art

Harris' Hawk
(Parabuteo unicinctus)

The Harris' hawk is a medium-sized, tropical or semitropical hawk, widely distributed from the US-Mexico border south to Chile and Argentina. It is one of the most remarkable birds of prey, because it has a unique behavior pattern. These birds hunt in family groups, in much the same way that wolves hunt in packs. Each group consists of a pair, with a dominant female, and several helpers. When they sight their prey from the air, they land on the ground and take turns to scare the prey animal until it darts out from its hiding place and is captured by another member of the hunting pack. This seems to be an adaptation to flush out their prey from beneath the thorny habitats of mesquite, saguaro and semi-arid woodland so they don't damage their feathers. The main types of prey include rabbits, rodents, snakes, lizards and other birds.

Wildlife artist Kathie Miller has rendered this desert bird with loving details in colored pencils.