Animal Fact Sheet
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Harris’s hawk
Parabuteo unicinctus
What does it look
like?
- Length: 18 inches Wingspan: 43 inches
- Sexes similar in plumage, but female is larger than male
- Large, long-tailed, broad-winged hawk
- Short, dark, hooked beak with yellow cere (area around the nostrils
at the base of the beak)
- Dark brown overall, chestnut patches on the wings and legs,
white covering the base of the tail and white band on the end
of the tail
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| Where
in the world?
- US: Parts of southern New Mexico, Arizona, Texas
- Mexico, most of central America
- Most of South America (not in the Andes mountains, the Amazon
river basin, and the southern tip of South America)
What are some behaviors?
There is evidence that hawks can detect a prey item at 2-3 times
the distance than a human can detect the same animal. The structure
of a hawk’s eye allows the eye to act much like a telescope.
Harris’ hawks, nick-named “the wolves
of the sky”, will hunt in groups. Hunting tactics include
surprise pounces, flush and ambush, and relay attacks. Biologists
believe the group hunting enables the group to kill larger prey
than an individual could and increases the success rate per amount
of time.
What about offspring?
The Harris’ hawk will build a sticks in deciduous trees or
cactus 10’-30’ from ground. One female may mate with
more than one male (polyandry). Usually 3-4 eggs are laid. When
they hatch, the young are quite helpless. They are not very mobile,
covered in down, and they are tended by both parents and other Harris’
hawks that are a part of that nesting group. The group could be
as large as 5 birds. The young leave the nest, or fledge, after
about 1.5 months, but will remain with their parents and share food
for about 3-6 months. |
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What does it eat?
Small mammals, birds, insects.
Harris’ hawks are very versatile predators
and will change prey according to availability
Is it threatened
or endangered?
The Harris’ hawk is not considered threatened or endangered,
but is declining in parts of its range. It is considered a species
of “special concern” or “local concern”
in certain areas. It is protected from harassment or shooting by
the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act. |
