Texas is home to a wide variety of hawks, with up to 25 species living in the United States and 19 species occurring regularly in Texas. From the big Ferruginous Hawk to the small Sharp-shinned Hawk, hawks can be found perched on poles and soaring over fields throughout the state.
In this article, we will explore the 10 most common types of hawks in Texas, including the Red-tailed Hawk, Harris’s Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Harrier, Ferruginous Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, and more. We will also provide information on their size, habitat, and behavior, as well as where to find them in Texas.
You are reading: 10 Types Of Hawks In Texas
10 Types Of Hawks In Texas
Red-shouldered Hawk
The Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a medium-sized raptor that is commonly found in Texas. Here are some key facts about this species:
Description
– Red-shouldered hawks have sharp eyes, broad strong wings, and long legs.
– They reach a length of 17 to 24 inches and have a wingspan of 37 to 43.7 inches.
– They are noticeably smaller than a Red-tailed Hawk but larger than a Broad-winged Hawk.
– They have a distinctive “reaching” posture when soaring, with their wingtips pushed slightly forward.
Habitat and Distribution
– Red-shouldered hawks prefer moist woodlands, such as bottomland hardwood forests or deciduous or mixed forests bordering lakes, streams, or other wetlands.
– They can be found in southeastern Canada and eastern United States south to central Mexico.
– Some are permanent residents in the eastern third of Texas.
Behavior
– Red-shouldered hawks are diurnal and rest at night.
– They watch for prey from low perches 6 to 15 feet above the ground or by soaring above fields and meadows near wooded areas.
– Their diet includes rabbits, rodents, and other small mammals, as well as small birds, snakes, lizards, frogs, fish, insects, and crayfish.
– They hunt by sight and sound, listening for the movements of small prey in the leaf litter.
– Their call is a repeated kee-yeer.
Red-shouldered hawks are effective hunters, helping to maintain a balance of predators and prey in woodland and grassland areas. They are a common sight in Texas and can be found perched on trees, utility poles, fence posts, and hay bales.
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. Here are some key facts about this species:
Description
– Red-tailed hawks are large hawks with typical Buteo proportions: very broad, rounded wings and a short, wide tail.
– They are the second-largest Buteo hawk in North America, after the Ferruginous Hawk.
– They display sexual dimorphism in size, with females averaging about 25% heavier than males.
– They have a wingspan of 44.9-52.4 inches and measure 17.7-25.6 inches in length.
– They have a dark band across their belly and a broad, round, rusty red tail.
Habitat and Distribution
– Red-tailed hawks are inhabitants of open country, but can also be found in woodlands, prairie groves, mountains, plains, roadsides, and any kind of terrain that provides both some open ground for hunting and some high perches.
– They breed in most parts of the United States and Canada south to Mexico and Central America.
– They are the most common roadside raptor across much of North America and can often be seen perched atop telephone poles, light posts, and edges of trees.
Behavior
– Red-tailed hawks are diurnal and rest at night.
– They watch for prey from high perches or by soaring above fields and meadows.
– Their diet includes small mammals, such as rabbits, squirrels, and mice, as well as birds, reptiles, and fish.
– They hunt by sight and sound, listening for the movements of small prey in the grass below.
– Their call is a thrilling, raspy scream that sounds exactly like a raptor should sound.
Red-tailed hawks are a common sight in Texas and can be found perched on trees, utility poles, fence posts, and hay bales. They are effective hunters and play an important role in maintaining a balance of predators and prey in open country and woodland areas.
Swainson’s Hawk
Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) is a medium-sized raptor and a classic species of the open country of the Great Plains and the West. Here are some key facts about this species:
Description
– Swainson’s hawks are large hawks with fairly broad wings and short tails.
– They are slimmer and longer-winged than many other buteos, with their wings typically held in a shallow V when soaring.
– They have a wingspan of 4.9-52.4 inches and measure 18.9-22.1 inches in length.
– They come in two different color patterns: light morph and dark morph. Light-morph hawks tend to be lighter-colored overall.
Habitat and Distribution
– Swainson’s hawks are found throughout the Americas, dividing their time between the northern and southern regions, depending on the time of year.
– They summer in North America and can be found from east-central Alaska and Canada south through the United States (east to Minnesota) to southern California and northern Mexico.
– They winter in eastern South America and can be seen in Argentina, Paraguay, and southern Brazil.
– The habitat of Swainson’s hawk consists of open and semi-open country – deserts, grasslands, and prairies – in both its breeding and wintering ranges.
Behavior
– Swainson’s hawks are diurnal and rest at night.
– They watch for prey from elevated perches or by soaring above fields and meadows.
– Their diet includes small mammals, such as young ground squirrels, as well as insects, especially grasshoppers and dragonflies, when they are not breeding.
– They hunt by sight and sound, listening for the movements of small prey in the grass below.
– They are long-distance migrants, traveling around 6,000 miles each way, and undertake one of the longest migrations of any North American bird of prey.
Swainson’s hawks are a common sight in Texas and can be found perched conspicuously on utility poles, fence posts, and isolated trees in areas that otherwise lack such elevated perches.
They are effective hunters and play an important role in maintaining a balance of predators and prey in open country and woodland areas.
Broad-winged Hawk
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The Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) is a medium-sized hawk that is found in eastern North America, as far west as British Columbia and Texas, during the summer. Here are some key facts about this species:
Description
– Broad-winged hawks are small, compact raptors with chunky bodies and large heads.
– They have broad wings that come to a distinct point in flight and a short, square tail.
– They have a wingspan of 31.9-39.4 inches and measure 13.4-17.3 inches in length.
– They are slightly smaller than a Red-shouldered Hawk and larger than a crow, but smaller than a Red-tailed Hawk.
Habitat and Distribution
– Broad-winged hawks are found in eastern North America, from British Columbia and Manitoba east to Nova Scotia and south to Texas and Florida.
– They are birds of the forest interior and can be hard to see during the nesting season.
– They are long-distance migrants, traveling to winter in the Neotropics from Mexico south to southern Brazil.
Behavior
– Broad-winged hawks are diurnal and rest at night.
– They watch for prey from a perch, usually located along the edge of woods or near water, or by flying through the woods or along watercourses, actively searching for prey.
– Their diet includes small mammals, such as mice, voles, and squirrels, as well as amphibians, reptiles, birds, large insects, crayfish, fish, centipedes, and earthworms.
– They hunt by swooping down rapidly to capture the creature in their talons.
– They are known for forming massive flocks called “kettles” during migration, when they travel from the U.S. and Canada all the way to winter in Central and South America.
Broad-winged hawks are most easily seen during migration at hawkwatches such as Hawk Ridge, Minnesota, and Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania. They are effective hunters and play an important role in maintaining a balance of predators and prey in forested areas.
Harris’s Hawk
Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) is a medium-large bird of prey that breeds from the southwestern United States south to Chile, central Argentina, and Brazil. Here are some key facts about this species:
Description
– Harris’s hawks are dark brown in color with copper or reddish-colored shoulder patches.
– They have a long tail with white feathers near the base and long yellow legs.
– They have a wingspan of 3-4 feet and measure 18-24 inches in body length.
– Females are larger than males, and they weigh between 1.5-2.5 pounds.
Habitat and Distribution
– Harris’s hawks are found in semiarid habitats such as mesquite and saguaro deserts as well as canyons, chaparrals, and scrubland.
– They are widely distributed from much of the US-Mexico border area, south into Mexico and Central America, and dry habitats of South America.
Behavior
– Harris’s hawks are diurnal and rest at night.
– They are one of only two known raptor species that hunt as a group, with some members of the group flushing out the prey and chasing it towards the other hunters in the group.
– Their diet includes rabbits, rodents, other birds, lizards, reptiles, and large insects.
– They hunt by actively pursuing prey around bushes and thickets, often in groups of two or three, and larger prey is often shared by the hawks.
– They build nests made of sticks, dried weeds, grasses, and twigs in cacti, trees, bushes, or man-made structures, and the 2-4 eggs will be incubated for 32-36 days.
Harris’s hawks are a popular species in falconry and are known for their intelligence, which makes them easy to train. They are effective hunters and play an important role in maintaining a balance of predators and prey in semiarid habitats.
Ferruginous Hawk
The Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) is a large bird of prey and belongs to the broad-winged buteo hawks. Here are some key facts about this species:
Description
– Ferruginous hawks are the largest hawks in North America, with a wingspan of 52.4-55.9 inches and a length of 22.1-27.2 inches.
– They have a unique gray head, rich, rusty (ferruginous) shoulders and legs, and gleaming white underparts.
– They have a larger bill than other Buteos, with a much wider gap when the bill is opened.
– They have the largest and most robust feet of any of the world’s Buteos.
Habitat and Distribution
– Ferruginous hawks are found in the interior parts of North America, from southwestern Canada through the western United States and into northern Mexico.
– They inhabit lowlands, plateaus, valleys, plains, rolling hills of grassland, agricultural land, ranches, and the edges of deserts.
– They tend to breed in open territory, plains, prairies, and badlands, and build nests on low cliffs, buttes, cut banks, shrubs, or trees, and occasionally on man-made structures or the ground.
Behavior
– Ferruginous hawks are diurnal and rest at night.
– They hunt by flying low to the ground over open fields at high speeds, soaring high above, hovering, or swooping down from perches.
– Their diet includes small to medium-sized mammals, such as young jackrabbits, ground squirrels, pocket gophers, kangaroo rats, as well as birds, snakes, large insects, and others.
– They are known for using a remarkable variety of hunting techniques, including “sit and wait” and “flush and chase”.
– They are threatened and have declined seriously over most of their range due to shooting and loss of habitat.
Ferruginous hawks are a rare and majestic sight in Texas, and they play an important role in maintaining a balance of predators and prey in open country and woodland areas.
Northern Harrier
The Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius), also known as the marsh hawk or ring-tailed hawk, is a bird of prey that breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA. Here are some key facts about this species:
Description
– Northern Harriers are slender, medium-sized raptors with long, fairly broad wings and a long, rounded tail.
– They have a flat, owl-like face and a small, sharply hooked bill.
– They have a wingspan of 38-48 inches and measure 17-23 inches in length.
– They have a distinctive white rump patch that is visible when they fly.
Habitat and Distribution
– Northern Harriers are found in open habitats such as marshes, grasslands, and fields.
– They breed throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA.
– They winter in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Behavior
– Northern Harriers are diurnal and rest at night.
– They hunt by flying low over fields, scanning the ground for prey, and listening for the movements of small mammals.
– Their diet includes small mammals, such as mice, voles, and shrews, as well as birds, reptiles, and insects.
– They are known for their distinctive hunting style, which involves flying low over the ground and coursing back and forth over fields and marshes.
– They are also known for their polygynous mating system, in which males mate with multiple females and provide food for them and their offspring.
Northern Harriers are a common sight in Texas and can be found in open habitats such as grasslands, marshes, and fields. They are effective hunters and play an important role in maintaining a balance of predators and prey in these habitats.
Cooper’s Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) is a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from southern Canada to Mexico. Here are some key facts about this species:
Description
– Cooper’s hawks are medium-sized hawks with a classic accipiter shape: broad, rounded wings and a very long tail.
– They have a distinctive dark cap on their head and a reddish-brown breast.
– They have a wingspan of 24.4-35.4 inches and measure 14.6-17.7 inches in length.
– Females are larger than males, and they weigh between 7.8-24.0 oz.
Habitat and Distribution
– Cooper’s hawks are found in a variety of habitats, including forests, woodlands, and suburban areas.
– They breed throughout the North American continent, from southern Canada to Mexico.
– They are year-round residents in Texas and can be found throughout the state.
Behavior
– Cooper’s hawks are diurnal and rest at night.
– They hunt by flying through dense cover and then pouncing on their prey, which includes small birds, mammals, and reptiles.
– They are known for their agility and speed, which allows them to navigate through dense vegetation in pursuit of prey.
– They build nests made of sticks, lined with softer material such as strips of bark, and the 2-6 eggs will be incubated for 30-36 days.
Cooper’s hawks are a common sight in Texas and can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, woodlands, and suburban areas. They are effective hunters and play an important role in maintaining a balance of predators and prey in these habitats.
Sharp-shinned Hawk
The Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) is a small hawk that is found throughout North America. Here are some key facts about this species:
Description
– Sharp-shinned hawks are small hawks with a classic accipiter shape: broad, rounded wings and a very long tail.
– They have a distinctive dark cap on their head and a reddish-brown breast.
– They have a wingspan of 16.9-22.1 inches and measure 9.4-13.4 inches in length.
– Females are considerably larger than males.
Habitat and Distribution
– Sharp-shinned hawks are found in a variety of habitats, including forests, woodlands, and suburban areas.
– They breed throughout North America, from southern Canada to Mexico.
– They are migratory and can be found in different parts of the continent depending on the season.
Behavior
– Sharp-shinned hawks are diurnal and rest at night.
– They hunt by flying through dense cover and then pouncing on their prey, which includes small birds and mammals.
– They are known for their agility and speed, which allows them to navigate through dense vegetation in pursuit of prey.
– They build nests made of sticks, lined with softer material such as strips of bark, and the 2-6 eggs will be incubated for 30-36 days.
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Sharp-shinned hawks are a common sight in Texas and can be found in a variety of habitats, including forests, woodlands, and suburban areas. They are effective hunters and play an important role in maintaining a balance of predators and prey in these habitats.
White-tailed Hawk
The White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) is a large bird of prey species found in tropical and subtropical environments of the Americas. Here are some key facts about this species:
Description
– White-tailed hawks are large hawks with a wingspan of 4.9-5.9 feet and a length of 19-24 inches.
– They have a distinctive white tail and a pale grayish-brown body.
– They have a bulky body and a broad, rounded wingspan.
– They have a sharp, hooked bill and sharp talons.
Habitat and Distribution
– White-tailed hawks can be observed from southern Argentina, north through South America, into Central America, Mexico, and the southernmost parts of the United States, including coastal Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.
– They prefer open or semi-open regions up to 2,000 ft (c. 600 m) ASL, with few trees to hinder their flight.
– They are not migratory birds, though some populations may make regional movements when food is scarce.
Behavior
– White-tailed hawks are diurnal and rest at night.
– They hunt by soaring over open areas, scanning the ground for prey, and then swooping down to capture it.
– Their diet includes small mammals, such as rabbits and rodents, as well as reptiles, birds, and insects.
– They build nests made of sticks, lined with softer material such as strips of bark, and the 2-3 eggs will be incubated for 33-35 days.
White-tailed hawks are a common sight in Texas and can be found in open or semi-open regions up to 2,000 ft (c. 600 m) ASL, with few trees to hinder their flight. They are effective hunters and play an important role in maintaining a balance of predators and prey in these habitats.
FAQS
1. How many species of hawks are found in Texas?
There are up to 25 species of hawks living in the United States, and 19 species occur regularly in Texas.
2. What are the most common types of hawks in Texas?
Some of the most common types of hawks in Texas include the Red-tailed Hawk, Harris’s Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Harrier, Ferruginous Hawk, and Red-shouldered Hawk.
3. What is the biggest hawk in Texas?
The Ferruginous Hawk is the biggest hawk in Texas, with a wingspan of 52.4-55.9 inches and a length of 22.1-27.2 inches.
4. What is the smallest hawk in Texas?
The Sharp-shinned Hawk is the smallest hawk in Texas, with a wingspan of 16.9-22.1 inches and a length of 9.4-13.4 inches.
5. Where can I find hawks in Texas?
Hawks can be found in a variety of habitats in Texas, including forests, woodlands, suburban areas, open country, grasslands, marshes, and fields.
6. What do hawks in Texas eat?
Hawks in Texas eat small mammals, birds, frogs, snakes, insects, and other prey.
7. Are all hawks protected in Texas?
Yes, all hawks are protected in Texas under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
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Category: Birds
