Earth Almanac: November/December 2004

A Hawk for All Seasons

If you are fond of red-tailed hawks, consider this lament: "The widespread prejudice against all hawks is exterminating this useful species. . . . It will be a sad day indeed when we shall no longer see the great redtail sailing over the treetops on its broad expanse of wing and ruddy tail, or soaring upward in majestic circles until lost to sight in the ethereal blue." That was written in 1937 by Arthur Cleveland Bent. Today all raptors are protected and generally appreciated, and none is more abundant or more widely distributed than the redtail. It is one of the few birds of prey you can count on seeing anywhere in the contiguous United States during winter. Not all the color morphs or subspecies have the distinctive red tail, but all are huge, and all soar on broad wings. Few birds are more adaptable than redtails; they'll eat virtually anything, from carrion to skunks to cats to lizards to toads to turtles to rattlesnakes, which they exhaust by inducing them to strike at their veinless wingtips. The future of redtails brightened with the perches and open hunting areas provided by the interstate highway system. As you drive it, scan trees, telephone poles, and signposts for white breasts, puffed up against the wind.