My first introduction to red-tailed hawks occurred when I was about five years old. Back then I would spend hours running about in our fields and woods in rural Wilton, Connecticut. I was already hooked on nature and if it walked, crawled, swam or flew, it was of interest to me. Given the opportunity I still spend hours just exploring, watching, inquiring and discovering nature’s way; and that includes the ways of our red-tailed hawks.

My childhood street was called Chicken Street because many people on that winding rural road raised chickens. I am rather certain based on the opportunist hunting pattern of red-tails that they occasionally feasted on the free-roaming chickens. The street was renamed decades ago to Mountain Road because it’s hilly, plus I think a house on Mountain Road versus Chicken Street would also have a higher market value.

Back then I knew red-tails as “chicken hawks” because that was what my neighbors called them. It was not at all unusual to see a dead red-tail draped over a fence to “warn” other red-tails to stay away from their chickens. Raptor is the term used to describe birds of prey, which include owls, falcons, eagles and hawks. My dad was instrumental in sharing the value of these beautiful raptors with me and was highly critical of killing any birds of prey. Of note, all raptors are now protected under federal and state laws.

Fast forward to 2024. Red-tailed hawks are common across Oakland County. This eye-catching raptor hunts in both urban and rural areas and breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama. It is without a doubt the most commonly seen raptor in Oakland County. Hardly a sunny day goes by that I do not see a Red-tail Hawk perched on a tree branch or soaring high above. Although some red-tails migrate south in the winter, many remain here all year. I have driven to the thumb region of Michigan three times since December to look for Snowy Owls. I took the numerous sightings of Red-tailed Hawks on those ventures, some perched on highway billboard signs, as a bonus.

If asked why a Red-Tailed Hawk is called a Red-Tailed Hawk most children will answer, “It has a red tail!” They are correct for the bright brownish-red tail feathers gave it its name. This large raptor is rather vocal and can often be heard calling as it soars high above or perches on a tree in its nesting territory. The calls help establish its territory. The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum has this to say about their piercing call and note the words I put in bold.

“Red-tail Hawks are one of the most commonly seen raptors in North America and they are also the most commonly heard raptor as well. In every commercial, tv show, or movie, the scream used as a sound effect is the scream of a red-tailed hawk – regardless of the bird being shown on the screen” 

Red-tailed hawks are a “generalist predator” when it comes to feeding, which is a trait that adds to their wide range and overall success. They will feed on small mammals including muskrats, rabbits, snakes, roadkill and other birds.  

More than a decade ago, I set up a vulture feeding platform in my field with a motion-activated trail camera attached to the edge to capture images of our common turkey vultures. For bait, I used road kill and a spoiled Thanksgiving turkey. That mission was a success, and I had an unexpected bonus: dozens of images of red-tailed hawks feeding on the platform as well. 

With special permits, which are not easy to acquire, red-tailed hawks have been successfully used for falconry. I was pleased to learn more about that skill from a friend who is a falconer. She and her red-tailed hawk appear in this image from about 10 years ago.

What does a red-tail’s call sound like? The most iconic call of the red-tailed hawk is its high-pitched scream, often portrayed incorrectly in movies and TV shows to represent eagles or any species of hawks. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has the calls of red tails and as a young child said to me on a nature hike last year, “It doesn’t sound like a tweety bird to me.”  

Red-tailed Hawks have keen eyesight, binocular vision, powerful talons for grabbing prey and a sharp beak. Those physical traits make them a highly successful species, no matter where they may be or what food is available.

Currently, it’s breeding season for Red-tailed Hawks. I’ve been seeing them frequently at Stony Creek Metropark and Independence Oaks County Park. I have also seen them soaring overhead and starting their aerial courting displays. Both the male and female construct the nest, which may take a week. But sometimes they simply refurbish one of their previous nests.

The nests are usually in tall trees with an excellent view of the surrounding areas. It’s a large structure and may be more than 3 feet across and taller than its width. The “inner cup” of the nest is lined with dry vegetation and sometimes strips of bark and is constructed  within the  major part of the nest that may be up to 6.5  feet high and 3 feet across. There are usually two or three eggs and incubation takes about 30 days.

The next time you are out and about, keep an eagle-eye out for the red-tails in our midst, even when driving on the expressway. They will sometimes perch on billboards, looking for rabbits or squirrels that might be near the road’s edge. I feel fortunate that I often see a red-tail perched on a branch not far from my house.

Jonathan Schechter is a naturalist, eagle watcher and nature education writer for Oakland County Government and blogs about nature’s way on the Wilder Side of Oakland County.

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