Male, 6 years old, Born Spring 2002
Fave Food: Rodents
Fave Toy: A red kong with food hidden inside of it.
How did Shriek get his name?
He got his name because he has a very loud personality and likes to shriek at the other Ambassadors.
Where does Shriek come from?
He was taken to the Brampton OSPCA after an examination found him to be blind in one eye and therefore non-releasable back into the wild. He came to Earth Rangers in August 2003.
Does Shriek go out to schools?
Yep, he participates in our school shows, festivals and events.

fun facts
  • Red Tailed Hawks are commonly harassed by crows, smaller hawks or even smaller song birds over territorial disputes. This is referred to as “mobbing.”
  • Their cry is a 2-3 second hoarse, rasping scream that sounds like a steam whistle.
  • A certain recording of the piercing cry of a Red-tailed Hawk is often used in adventure movies to give a sense of wilderness to the scene.
  • Their vision is up to 7 times better than ours! If we were to look through a pair of binoculars, it'd be like looking through a hawk's eyes.
  • They're the most widespread and familiar member of the American Buteos. They're seen so often because of their habit of circling high in the air or perching in dead trees or on telephone poles along the road. Next time you're driving through a field or wooded area, check the skies and poles – you're bound to see one!
  • Their talons are their #1 weapon.

Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Average Life Span:

10 to 15 years in the wild and 18 to 20 in captivity

Average Length:

45 to 65 cm

Average Wingspan:

114 to 133 cm

Average Weight:

Varies from about 690 to 1500 grams, with the females being about 25% to 33% larger than males

Description

  • They get their name from their brick red tail. However only the adults have a red tail – young hawks have a greyish brown-banded tail.
  • Their underbelly is usually lighter than the rest of the body, and has a dark band across it. They also all have dark patagial marks (the patagium is between the body and wrist on the wing) on the underside of the wings. Other than that, individuals vary greatly in plumage colour.
  • They have strong, hooked beaks perfect for tearing apart prey. Their feet have three toes pointing forward and one pointing backwards, and their talons are long, curved and very sharp. The base of their beak, legs, and feet are yellow.
  • Their eye colour changes from yellowish-grey when young to dark brown in adults. Like eagles, and falcons, they have a bony ridge over the eye orbit that provides shade for the eyes while in direct sunlight. Kind of like a built in sun visor!
  • They have broad wings and broad tails which make them superstars at soaring

Location / Habitat

  • They can be found throughout United States and Canada, and into Mexico and Central America. Most don't migrate, although birds in the far north head south during the harsh winter.
  • They live in a wide range of habitats over a wide range of altitudes. These habitats are typically open areas with scattered, elevated perches and include scrub deserts, plains, agricultural fields, pastures, urban parks, patchy coniferous and deciduous woodlands, and tropical rainforests.
  • They're quite territorial and depending on food availability, perches, and nesting sites will have territories ranging in size from 0.85 to 3.9 square kilometres. The female is usually more aggressive around the nest, whereas the male is more aggressive when it comes to his territory boundaries.

Food

  • They're an opportunistic hunter which means that they feed on a wide variety of prey (basically whatever they can catch). Up to 85% of their diet is small rodents though mammals as large as the eastern cottontail rabbit will be hunted. Reptiles and other birds make up the remainder of their diet.
  • They frequently hunt by "kiting" which means they barely move a wing feather or tail feather to maintain their position.
  • Prey is caught with the long deadly talons and is then swallowed whole. If it's too large for one gulp, they use their beak to tear into bite-size pieces.

Breeding

  • They typically don't begin breeding until their third year. They are monogamous and will only find a new mate if theirs dies.
  • Mating and nest building begin in early spring and continues through May. The courtship involves fancy aerial displays by both sexes. They'll circle each other and soar high into the air, then suddenly fold their wings and dive towards the ground. Now that's an impressive air show!
  • They prefer to build their nest at the edge of forests, in wooded fence rows, or in large trees surrounded by open areas. Both birds work together to make a nest out of twigs and lined with pine leaves, bark and other soft plant matter. They add fresh materials throughout the year to keep it nice and clean.
  • The female usually lays 1 to 3 white to bluish-white eggs around the first week of April and will incubate them for 28-35 days. The male bird will help out incubating though spends more time hunting and bringing dinner home for the female.
  • When hatched, the young are covered with white down feathers. They begin to leave the nest after about 42 to 46 days. The fledgling period lasts up till they are 10 weeks old, during which the chicks practice flapping their wings and hunting.

Threats

Status:Least Concern
  • We are happy to report that the Red-tailed Hawk currently is not at risk. While at one time it had low populations, they've made a tremendous comeback and are now common across North America.