Short-tailed Hawk

Description:

The Short-tailed Hawk is a small buzzard. Males average smaller than the females, but the size difference is slighter than in most birds of prey and the sexes are indistinguishable in the field. Length can range from 37 to 45 cm (15 to 18 in), wingspan from 80–103 cm (31–41 in) and body mass from 342 to 625 g (12.1 to 22.0 oz). Among standard linear measurements, the wing chord is 26.5–34 cm (10.4–13 in), the tail is 13–18 cm (5.1–7.1 in) and the tarsus is 5.5–6.2 cm (2.2–2.4 in). It has broad rounded wings, the tips of which are curved upwards while soaring, and a broad tail that despite the bird's name is of average length for a buteo in proportion to the body. Its call is a high-pitched scream similar to other buzzards.

Habitat:

The species may be found in wooded savannah, patchy woodlands near water, cypress swamps, mangrove swamps or high pine-oak woodlands. The Short-tailed Hawk is uncommon and local in most of its range. It is quite difficult to detect unless in flight, since it is often concealed while perched by dense canopy or with only the head showing (unlike most Buteo hawks which generally prefer prominent perches). Due to the fact that it is believed to be regularly overlooked in the field, no comprehensive population surveys have occurred for the species.

Notes:

In Florida, it eats mainly smaller birds. The Short-tailed Hawk hunts from soaring flight, often at the borders between wooded and open areas. A frequent maneuver is "kiting" – coming to a stop, the bird heads into the wind, with its wings held stationary. It typically attacks prey with a nearly vertical swoop, sometimes pausing and then continuing downward in a "stair-step" manner. Typical prey ranges from a New World warbler (Parulidae) to a bobwhite (Colinus) in size. In Florida, icterids – namely the Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), the Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula), the Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major) and the Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) – make up the bulk of the prey. In one case, 95% of a single hawk's prey selection was found to consist of Red-winged Blackbirds