Red-Tail Hawk Nest

 

Red-Tail Hawk Nest Picture Gallery

 

 

Finding the nesting site for a pair of Red-Tail Hawks can be difficult, considering that red-tails are very common and can be found almost anywhere in the lower 48 states. Once you do find a nest, it is quite the treat to be able to watch the parent hawks come and go from the nest in order to care for their young one.

The courtship habits of Red-Tailed hawks use arial displays that demonstrate their ability level and eagerness for breeding. The close of winter usually signifies the start of the breeding season for the Red-Tailed hawk. Red-Tails are monogamous and they choose their mate for life. They will however, choose aonther mate if the original partner dies.

Both the male and the female help build the nest together, at a mutually agreed site. The nesting site is anywhere from 20 to 80 feet from the ground. Nests are built on cliffs occaisionally. Red-Tailed haws are indeterminate egg layers, where the female hawk will lay from 1 to 5 eggs in the nest, but 2 eggs is a standard brood size. The eggs are a pale blue with some dark splotches (small spots) on the eggs. Red-Tail hawk eggs have an incubation period of 28-35 days. After about 45 days after hatching, the young brancher will leave the nest in search of food on his own.

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