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Gemini Putter Norton Dora Shelly Hailey

Zeus Fantom Lilo Stitch Baldwin Linus

male, 4 months old, Born May 2008

Fave Food: Rodents

Fave Toy: An old shoe

How did Linus get his name?
He got his name from the Charlie Brown comic.

Where does Linus come from?
He came to Earth Rangers in August 2008 when he was just 4 months old.

Does Linus go out to schools?
He's currently in training and will be taking part in shows in the future.

They're social birds. Some will stay stick around with their family for a few years to help raise babies.
They like to munch on small rodents, rabbits, lizards, birds and large insects. Sometimes they'll even eat dead animals.
They're the only raptor that hunts co-operatively as a group. This not only increases their chance of success but lets them catch larger prey. Go team!
They'll occasionally take part in the strange behavior of sitting on each others’ backs, up to 3 birds high (called ‘stacking’). It's not known why they do this, but it’s thought that it may be due to lack of perching space. Or maybe they just like playing piggyback!
They're really helpful to farmers whose crops are destroyed by rodents as they mainly feed on mice and rats.
They're popular birds to use in the sport of falconry because of their group hunting style. They also make good birds for beginners because they are easy to train and have larger feet than other falconry birds which makes them easier to handle.
The predator they have to keep those keen eyes out for is the Great Horned Owl.

Harris Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)

Average Life Span:

11-15 years

Average Length:

46 - 76 cm

Average Wingspan:

100 cm -120 cm

Average Weight:

735 – 1047g

Description

The Harris Hawk is a medium sized, long-legged, long-tailed hawk. Its body is a chocolate brown colour, with its shoulders, under wing and thighs a bright chestnut. The tail is black, with a white base and a 1-inch white band at the tip.
The eyes are dark brown with yellow eyelids. Their sharp beak is light at the base, turning bluish grey at the tip. And their legs are yellow with very sharp talons on their feet that are perfect for snatching prey.
They have excellent eyesight - up to 7 times better than a human's! Their eyes are very large but can move very little. So like an owl, they must turn their head to look around.
Harris Hawks belong to the family Accipitridae, which includes kites, eagles, accipiters (forest hawks), buteos (soaring hawks) and harriers. They're considered buteos - which are the most diverse group of day active raptors in North America.
Their scientific name comes from the Greek word “para” meaning beside or near; the Latin words “buteo” meaning a kind of hawk; “uni” meaning once; and “cinctus” meaning girdled, which refers to the white band at the base of the tail.

They make their home in semi-dry habitats like deserts, savannas, and scrub prairies.
They range from the south western United States through Central America and into much of the drier habitats in South America. However, they're mostly found in South Texas.

Harris Hawks are diurnal which mean they are active during the day time.
Unlike other raptors, they regularly work as a team when hunting (usually about 5 birds). These hunting groups consist of a mating pair and other helpers with the female bird dominating. Harris Hawks are super fast flyers and once they have spotted their prey, they take turns chasing and trying to scare the prey animal until it darts from beneath its hiding place. Another member of the hunting group is in charge of capturing the animal and will make a posture known as “mantling” where it shields the prey with their wings to hide it. In some cases, the older birds will sit on perches while the younger birds flush out the prey. This puts the younger birds at risk from predators.
Often hunting is done by soaring the skies. Perch hunting is another fave hunting method and they'll sit on almost anything including low bushes, tall trees and utility poles. When perching spots are few they've been seen standing on each other's backs up to 3 birds high!
They're social birds and some young will stick around with their family to help take care of subsequent babies. They also have a hierarchy in their group and the older birds will often force younger birds off of a high perch so they can sit there.

Their diet is versatile and varies with the type of prey availability. They mostly dine on small mammals like rats and mice, but will also eat other birds and lizards. When hunting in groups they can catch larger prey such as cottontails and jack rabbits. They'll also occasionally eat carrion.

Harris Hawks are polyandrous and one female often has 2 or 3 male companions. They all nest and hunt together – which is pretty uncommon in the bird world. It's unknown whether the female breeds with both males, although it would make sense if the father of the chicks was not known. Females have the ability to breed all year long and can lay 2-3 clutches within a year.
The female lays between 1-4 eggs which hatch after 30 days. Both the mom and the males help out feeding the young hawks. The babies stay with their parents for 1 year or sometimes even longer!
The nest is a shallow, compact platform of sticks lined with weeds and roots. It's often built on top of a mesquite bush or in a branching yucca or saguaro and is usually less than 30 feet off of the ground.

Status: Special Concern (“Local Concern” in certain areas)

Harris's Hawks aren't listed as threatened or endangered, however they're protected from harassment and illegal shooting by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Destruction of habitat (for homes and agriculture) is the major cause of decline of this species as well as excessive human disturbance.
The greatest threat predator-wise is the Great Horned Owl. If an owl threatens a nest, groups consisting of 2-5 hawks will attack it. This teamwork greatly increases the detection of predators and nest successes. Other predators include common ravens and coyotes.