It is important to know about hawks’ diet because it will enable people to comprehend these birds and their position in the food chain. Hawks are of the family Accipitridae and again these birds of prey display high diversity so the diet as well may differ depending on species, geographical location, and also availability of the prey.
Here are identified hawk species as well as the natural environments in which they can be found:
Red-tailed Hawks
It is observed that red-tailed hawks are medium to large and hunt deserts, grasslands, farmers’ fields, forests, and even in cities in North America.
Cooper’s Hawks
These hawks prefer wooded habitats and these are some of the fastest and most mobile, using this speed to catch small birds and mammals.
Harris’s Hawks
Originally from Southwestern America, Harris’s Hawks are known for the sociality of some pairs and groups and their ability to take large prey.
Other Common Hawk Species
Some of the other hawks are the Slaty-backed Hawk, the Sharp-shinned Hawk, the Northern Harrier, and Swainson’s Hawk- the diet and the places they prefer are different.
Food Habits of Hawks They Trapped: A Preliminary Study of General Dietary Information
Carnivorous Nature
Hawks, like most birds of prey, are captured, and as such have a diet that comprises fresh meat. They are excellent strike specialists possessed with superior vision, with strong claws and beaks to seize, immobilize, and kill the prey before feeding on it.
Hunting Techniques
Hawks employ several strategies in hunting these include flying high to get a vantage point, sitting on a tree, and then swooping down to capture its prey.
Small Mammals are Hawked
Mice
Mice are among the preferred meals of many cut across the different groups of hawks. These are usually in large numbers and small, which makes them easily targeted.
Squirrels
Ground squirrels especially are often prey to hawks. They offer heafty portions which gives the body a boost of nutrients it requires.
Rabbits
The large hawks such as the Red-tailed hawks feed on rabbits which is a bumper harvest as they supply so much food.
Birds as Prey
Small Birds
The Cooper’s Hawk, for example, mostly feeds on small birds, which it hunts head-on while sailing in flight.
Game Birds
Quail and pheasants are also some of the food sources for hawks and the latter feeds on them when the former is available.
Poultry Predation
Sometimes, hawks may become a menace to domestic poultry and many a time bird owners are left frustrated and furious with their presence.
Reptiles and Amphibians
Snakes
Its potential prey include both the venomous and the non-venomous snakes which are usually hunted in regions in which they are abundant.
Lizards
Another preferred food source is the lizards especially when the climate is warm and the lizards more agile.
Frogs
Predators such as frogs that reside in wetland regions may at times be consumed by the hawks that also inhabit these environments.
Insects and Invertebrates
Beetles
The large beetles and other insects form part of the diet of the hawks especially the young and the small ones.
Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers are short-term foods for hawks; this is so because hawks feed on grasshoppers whenever there is a shortage of other large prey.
Other Insects
Other insects and invertebrates may be taken by hawks occasionally but this food includes only a small fraction of a hawk’s diet.
Fish in Hawk Diets
Hunting Techniques for Fish
The Osprey for example are fish eagles in that they feed on fish; accessing the fish through diving and grabbing the fish with their sharp claws.
Common Fish Prey
Some of the birds that feed on fish include the fish eagles, ospreys, and goshawks and the types of fish which they prefer include; trout fish, bass fish, and perch fish.
Scavenging and Opportunistic Feeding
Carrion Consumption
Although hawks are butchers by nature, they do not shy away from scavenging and will eat carrion (dead animal) if they can get it especially if the weather is a little rough.
Human Influence on Diet
Other food sources that own intervention can make available can include roadkill and dumping of wastes hence affecting the diet of hawks.
Regional Dietary Variations
North America
birds of prey in North America environment have different food habits, though they may feed on rabbits reptiles, and fish.
South America
Hawks that inhabit South America may eat large insects, as well as some tropical birds that other birds of prey may not be categorized to hunt for.
Europe
The European hawks, especially, the diet most often includes small mammals and birds because of the different conditions in Europe.
Africa
The African hawks may hunt small mammals, birds, and or reptiles with some of them hunting in the deserts or the savannah.
Seasonal Dietary Changes
Winter Feeding Habits
Hawks may feed on carrion during winter when food is hard to come by and when they have to take whatever food is available.
Breeding Season Diet
During the breeding period, hawks need to feed many offspring which, therefore, enhances hunting activities in the given region.
Effect of Habitat on the Food Habits
Urban vs. Rural Hawks
Urban hawks could mainly prey on pigeons or rats while the country hawks might be privileged to feed on a variety of wildlife.
Forest-Dwelling Hawks
Birds of prey in forests feed on smaller birds and other mammals that dwell on trees and other areas of the forest.
Grassland and Desert Hawks
Large grassland or desert-adapted prey species that may be taken by hawks in the more open environments include mammals and reptiles.
The adaptations for hunting and feeding are as follows:
Talons and Beaks
Hawks have strong hooks and beaks as weapons for capturing and digesting prey and their beaks are designed to slit the flesh.
Vision and Stealth
Sharp sight ens the ability to catch its prey from a far away distance and then has the ability to approach the prey without being noticed.
The process of preservation and protection of so-called ‘prey species’.
Balancing Ecosystems
Hawks have the responsibility of controlling the population of small mammals and any other prey that they may follow.
Human Role in Conservation
Hawking can be preserved through the protection of its breeding grounds and minimizing the use of pesticides which are lethal to hawks and their prey.
Conclusion
Hawks are also opportunistic birds that feed on almost everything but major on smaller mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and sometimes even fish. Knowledge of what they eat enables us to realize the value of these animals in the ecosystem and the need to preserve their natural habitat.
FAQs
Are hawks capable of hunting domestic animals such as chickens, rabbits, and the like?
In worst cases, they may sometimes attack small domestic animals, poultry for instance, although this is seldom and only occurs when the natural prey is not easily available.
It is essential to seek to answer a question like ‘How do hawks catch their prey?”
Hawks are known to hunt using feet claws and the shape of their beaks the bird hovers over its prey before pouncing on it.