Animal Art

Red-Tail Hawk

(Buteo jamaicensis)

The Red-tailed Hawk ranges throughout North America to the central Alaska and northern Canada, and south as far as the mountains of Panama. Although not truly migratory, they do adjust seasonally to areas of the most abundant prey . In winter many of the northern birds move south.

The Red-tail is the largest hawk, usually weighing between 2 and 4 pounds. As with most raptors, the female is nearly 1/3 larger than the male and may have a wing span of 56 inches. This species shows a great deal of individual variation in plumage.

The Red-tailed Hawk is a most opportunistic hunter with 85 to 90 % of its diet composed of small rodents, with rabbits, snakes and lizards included. Where there are large numbers of pheasant, these become the food of choice in spring and summer.

Wildlife artist Kathie Miller as taken fabric and turned it into a piece of art of this pure black bird of prey.