Broad-Winged Hawkīroad-winged hawks are one of the least spotted hawk species found in North Carolina, as this species breed in this state before migrating down to South America. The mating season is generally between April and June and doesn’t occur in North Carolina, as they will use North Carolina as a pit stop as they travel south during the winter migration. Speaking of diet, the cooper’s hawk primarily feasts on small mammals, reptiles, small birds, insects, and even fish.ĭuring the mating season, these birds are monogamous and will lay between 2-6 eggs on the fork of a tall tree. They can often be aggressive when hunting for food against other hawks. The main habitat of this species is dense woodlands and backyards, and they tend to avoid open fields. As adults, the color fades to a steel blue-gray color with thick dark bands on the tail and faint reddish bars on the upper breast. The females are generally always larger than the males, which is the only physical difference between the sexes.Īs juveniles, the Cooper’s Hawk are brown all over except for a lighter upper breast, which is flecked with dark patches. This is a medium-sized hawk with a classic shape and size – rounded and broad wings with an elongated, slim tail. Cooper’s HawkĬooper’s Hawks are most commonly found in North Carolina in the winter months. Farmers will also commonly kill red-tailed hawks who pose a threat to their livestock and agricultural farms. In terms of predators, the red-tailed hawk is often considered prey by the great horned owl. Red-tailed hawks aren’t fussy eaters, with their diet consisting of a range of prey including small birds, rodents (especially squirrels), snakes, insects, and carrion.
#NORTH CAROLINA BIRDS OF PREY LIST SERIES#
Like most birds, this species is sexually monomorphic, with the key difference between the sexes being that females are generally larger than males.Īfter a series of courtship rituals, including distinctive aerial performances and calls, a male and female will mate on a treetop or the edge of a cliff. The wings of a red-tailed hawk are large and broad, making the hawk resemble something between a goose and a crow. The red-tailed hawk plumage comes in a variety of colors and shades, but once they reach adulthood, their tails are a distinctive reddish-brown color (as the name suggests!). Native to North America, these hawks are commonly found circling over open fields or perched on a telephone pole on the side of a road. The red-tailed hawk is the most common hawk species found in North Carolina. Here are the 8 hawk species in North Carolina! Red-Tailed Hawk Plus, it’s always fun to surprise your friends with unique facts about hawks. It’s important that we recognize the differences between the species, from their habitats to reproductive behavior, to better understand their relevance to the ecosystem.
North Carolina, for example, is home to 8 species of hawks, with each species looking and acting differently to another. 9.3 Is there a hawk that looks like a Bald Eagle?
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