Red-tailed+Hawk

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// Buteo jamaicensis // Order: Accipitriformes =**__Husbandry Information__**=

Housing Requirements

 * Multiple perching options
 * Space should meet minimum USFW standards

Diet Requirements

 * 80 to 90% of their diet in the wild consists of rodents, but they will also prey upon moles, rabbits, birds, and snakes.
 * In captivity, they are fed chicks, quail, mice, ducklings, and Dallas Crown.

Veterinary Concerns

 * Birds need flight excercise to maintain muscle mass.
 * Multiple perching options are necessary to maintain good foot health

Notes on Enrichment & Training

 * When working with birds with limited vision, complete blindness in one eye, or a missing an eye, these birds seem to be more sensitive (displaying anxious behavior) to lighting changes. Some hawks with vision issues such as a missing eye are still able to do free range flights. They also may be more sensitive to people approaching them from the "bad" side.
 * Birds can be trained to use enrichment devices such as kongs or PVC with food in them.
 * Some birds like to shred paper.
 * At Zoo Atlanta our mews have plexi-glass windows and our red-tail hawk spends the majority of his time perched in front of this window.
 * Diet management for free flight demonstrations should be done with an understanding of the process and considerations. The decision to diet manage should not be taken lightly.
 * During nesting season, many enjoy taking sticks and hay to a provided platform to make a "nest" (males too!).

=__Programmatic Information__=

Tips on Presentation

 * With good desensitization, these birds are good around large crowds of people. They are also calm in large auditoriums, classrooms, and conference areas.

Tips on Handling

 * This species takes well to positive reinforcement training and can be trained to sit on a glove
 * Transport box suggestions AZAs Ambassador Animals dialog, Raptor Rig and Varikennel.
 * A couple things to keep in mind, if using the handle on the top of the transport box do not rest the bottom on your hip. It will cause the box to bounce; this might lead to an uncomfortable ride and decrease the likelihood that the bird will go in the box on future occasions. If the perch is to low for the bird, their tail feathers may get painted with fecal matter which does not look good on presentation. Varikennel you are able to adjust the height of the perch.

Potential Messaging

 * Native North American species that many people can identify

=__Acquisition Information__=
 * Red-tails can be acquired from rehab and rescue centers
 * Parent reared birds can be relaible in both flighted and non-flighted situations

=__Comments from the Rating System__=
 * Downtown Aquarium, Denver: Easy animal for new handlers to birds of prey.
 * Maryland Zoo in Baltimore: Males can prove very difficult after maturity.
 * Philadelphia Zoo: Tends to be calmer

=__Natural History Information__=

Range and Habitat
Red-tailed hawks are found in North America, the West Indies, and Central America. They can live in wooded temperate and mountain zones, plains, savannahs, steeps, and deserts. They nest in trees on on cliffs; in urban areas, they nest on building areas and rooftops.

Physical Description
 Red-tailed hawks vary in color, from black-brown to red-white. Darker coloration tends to be seen in the western part of their range, while eastern hawks are generally lighter in color. Albinism is common in this species.  Juveniles have brown barred tails for the first year, then the russet red tail molts in during the second year. These hawks have broad, rounded wings, a strong hooked beak and sharp, curved talons. Like many other raptors, red-tailed hawks have a body ridge over their eyes that provides shade for the eyes when in direct sunlight.  As with most raptors, the female is nearly 1/3 larger than the male. Average weight is 2 to 4 pounds. Red-tail hawks are 22 inches high and have a wingspan of 4.5 to 5 feet.

Life Cycle
 Red-tailed hawks become sexually mature at about 3 years of age, but tend to find prospective mates as juveniles and keep the same mate for their entire life. In the spring, the female will lay 1 to 3 eggs. Both parents will take turns incubating the eggs for 28 to 32 days. Young fledge at 45 to 46 days old, and they leave the nest at 10 to 12 weeks old.  Lifespan in the wild is 10 to 12 years; in captivity, red-tailed hawks can live 12 to 20 years. (The San Diego Zoo has recently had two live over the age of 30; one (male) was euthanized at 32, the other (female) is still alive and is currently 30 in 2015.)

Behavior
 The red-tailed hawk is a master of soaring and takes advantage of thermals and updrafts. In cooler weather, when thermals aren't available, these birds rely on perch hunting. As with all raptors, pellets are regurgitated after eating.  Many birds are year-round occupants of their territories, although the birds in the far north of the range will migrate south during the fall to escape a harsh winter, and birds in the far south will migrate north during the summer.  Their usual vocalization is a hoarse, rasping scream that lasts for 2 to 3 seconds.

Threats and Conservation Status
 Common predators include great horned owls, red foxes, and raccoons. Eggs and fledglings are in more danger of predation than adults. Adults are often kills by humans, whether by car accidents, shootings, or steel traps.  In the 1980s, the estimated population of red-tailed hawks was 350,000 based on North American winter populations. The hawk is now bountiful, making a tremendous comeback from the days when it was drastically hunted. Red-tails have nested successfully in both suburban and urban areas and along highways, which has helped it increase its numbers.

Prejudices against birds of prey still persist among many who wrongly believe that they harm wildlife or present major threats to domestic animals. Biological studies have documented their ecological importance as major controls on rodent populations. Some birds of prey feed on snakes, insects or other potential pests. No species of raptor poses a significant threat to domestic animals.

Instruct guests to never litter, especially when they are in a car. Throwing trash out along the roads not only makes the roads less attractive, but can also attract animals to the sides of the road. Some of these animals might look appetizing to an owl, hawk, or other predator which are then more likely to be hit by passing vehicles.

=__Did you know…__=
 * The eyesight of a hawk is 8 times as powerful as a human's.
 * The red-tailed hawk has 14 subspecies, each of which is more or less specific to a geographical area, and differs from the others in size, markings, etc.

=__Photographs__=

=__Contributors and Citations__=
 * The Philadelphia Zoo
 * John G. Shedd Aquarium
 * Zoo Atlanta
 * San Diego Zoo; [|Red-Tailed Hawk]