Red-Tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Animal Class: Birds

Length: 18-26 inches

Weight: 1.5-3 pounds

Lifespan: 18-20 years in the wild 

Diet: Small mammals, especially rodents and rabbits. Also birds, reptiles, fish and insects.

Habitat: Found in deserts, grasslands, forests, agricultural fields and urban areas.

Description: A medium-sized raptor with yellow feet and legs, a stocky brown body and whitish belly, long, broad wings and a short, wide tail of reddish brown color. Juveniles lack the red tail. Red-tailed Hawks will steal prey from other raptors. The majority of hawks captured for falconry in the United States are Red-tails. The raspy “kree-eee-ar” cry of the Red-tailed Hawk is often used in movies to represent any eagle or hawk.

Our Animals: Betty. This animal is also an Ambassador Animal.