Buteo jamaicensis

Red-tailed hawks are diurnal hunters who swoop down upon their prey in a steep dive.  Hawks, along with other birds of prey, are pest control specialists, regulating numbers of destructive rodents and other small animals.  They live mainly in deciduous forest areas, adjacent fields, and forest openings where they hunt for a variety of prey including rodents, rabbits, reptiles, amphibians, and even insects.  The red-tailed hawk is adaptable and is able to live in close proximity to humans.  Pairs maintain a territory year round and mate for life.  As with many other animals, habitat loss remains the primary threat to the continued well-being of these birds.  They are also accidentally killed or injured each year due to collisions with automobiles, towers, fences, and windows.  Legal protection, including prohibiting hunting and feather possession without special permits, has helped the red-tailed hawk to make a dramatic comeback in many areas.