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Hawks – The Fierce Hunter Birds

hawk-face image
Of all the birds of prey, hawks are the most common.

Of all the birds of prey, hawks are the most common. You might have heard their screeching, echoing call or seen them soaring high in the air. The red-tailed hawk is common in America. It has a reddish brown tail.

Close Up of a Hawk Face image - Science for Kids All About Hawks
All About Hawks: Of all the birds of prey, hawks are the most common.

Hawks are fierce hunters. They have good eyesight and can see prey from high in the sky. They dive down to catch rabbits, mice, lizards, fishsquirrels or snakes. Sometimes they perch from a tree or telephone pole and swoop down after prey.

Red-tailed Hawk Flying Image
The red-tailed hawk is common in America. It has a reddish brown tail.

Fun Facts about Hawks for Kids

  • Hawks often hunt at dawn when nocturnal animals are still awake.
  • Hawks sometimes fight in the air over food.
  • Hawks mate for life. The male does tricks in the air to impress a female. These showcases can last over 10 minutes.
  • Hawks build large nests out of sticks. The nests can be 3 feet wide. Hawks place their nests atop a tall tree, a cliff or even a cactus.
  • As mentioned already a hawks eyesight is excellent, their hearing is also excellent but a hawks sense of smell is not so good.
  • Hawks can dive at speeds in access of 150 mph – yikes that’s fast.
  • Female hawks are generally larger than their male counterparts.
  • Hawks can hunt in the air also for other birds.
  • There are over 200 species of hawks worldwide. The largest hawk in North America is the Ferruginous Hawk.
  • A hawk can see colors.
  • A hawk can live up to 20 years, although 13 to 15 years is about the norm.
  • The large rough legged hawk has a wingspan up to 1.4 m (4.5 ft).
Hawk Catching a Rabbit in the Snow Image
They dive down to catch rabbits, mice, lizards or snakes.

Hawk Vocabulary

  1. Common: frequent
  2. Screeching: harsh, high sound
  3. Fierce: tough, aggressive
  4. Prey: a hunted animal
  5. Nocturnal: animals that are awake at night
Hawk in a Nest Image
Hawks build large nests out of sticks. The nests can be 3 feet wide. Hawks place their nests atop a tall tree, a cliff or even a cactus.

Learn More All About Hawks

Check out this cool video about a hawk:

A documentary of red-tailed hawk against a rattlesnake.

Hawk Q&A

Question: Are hawks good parents?

Answer: Both the mother and father sit on the eggs and take care of the young.

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Question: Do hawks hunt together?

Answer: Most hawks hunt alone, but a few work together like wolves to track down prey.

 

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