"Foggy" - a Red-Tailed Hawk
This
mature female red-tailed hawk was found in Bonner Springs, KS after being hit
by a car. The head trauma that she suffered left the left eye non-functioning.
Because of the positioning of the hawk's eye she is totally devoid of any type
of sight on that side. "Foggy" is a valuable part of
OWL's education team.
Fun Facts
- Red-tailed hawks come in nine color phases ranging from white (Kryders) to dark brown (Harlan).
- They build nests in trees out of sticks and twigs.
- Most widely distributed hawk in North America.
- A common hawk to Kansas, they will spend hours on the power lines and poles along our roadways.
- Prefers mixed country - open pasture land, fields, interspersed with woods.
- Immature birds have light eyes and a striped tail. Red tail comes in second year of life.
- Mature birds have dark brown eyes.
- Has the capability of hovering. Hunts while soaring or from a stationary perch.
- Eyesight is keen - can see a mouse from a mile high in the sky.
- Eggs are incubated almost entirely by the female for approximately 30 days.
- Young fledge at about 45 days.
- Average life span is approximately 20 years in the wild.
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