Red-Tailed Hawk

Description:

This young Hawk slid down a steep dirt hill. It appeared it was just learning to fly. Not sure what kind of Hawk it is. The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey. A male Red-Tailed Hawk may weigh from 690 to 1300 g (1.5 to 2.9 lb), with a mean weight of 1,030 g (2.3 lb), and measure 45–60 cm (18–24 in). A female can weigh between 900 and 2000 g (2 and 4.4 lb), averaging 1,220 g (2.7 lb), and measure 48 to 65 cm (19 to 26 in) long). The wingspan can range from 105 to 141 cm (41 to 56 in) and, in the standard scientific method of measuring wing size, the wing bone is 33–44 cm (13–17 in) long. The tail measures 19–25 cm (7.5–9.8 in) in length.[4

Habitat:

The Red-tailed Hawk occupies a wide range of habitats and altitudes, including deserts, grasslands, coniferous and deciduous forests, tropical rainforests, agricultural fields and urban areas. It lives throughout the North American continent, except in areas of unbroken forest or the high arctic. It is legally protected in Canada, Mexico and the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. One of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens.[2] It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies, and is one of the most common buteos in North America. Red-tailed Hawks can acclimate to all the biomes within its range.