Red-tailed hawks are one of the most widespread and common hawks in North America. They can be found in a variety of habitats from forests to deserts. Attracting these majestic raptors to your backyard or property can be a rewarding experience. With some knowledge of red-tailed hawk behavior and habitat preferences, and strategic placement of food, water sources, and perches, you may be able to convince these birds to become regular visitors.
Why Attract Red-Tailed Hawks?
Here are some key reasons you may want to attract red-tailed hawks:
- Natural Pest Control – Red-tailed hawks prey on rodents, snakes and other small animals that may be considered pests. Having hawks around can help control pest populations naturally.
- Birdwatching Opportunities – Getting a close look at hawks can be thrilling for bird enthusiasts. Attracting them creates more birdwatching chances.
- Contribution to Raptor Conservation – Providing habitat supports red-tailed hawk populations and raptor conservation efforts overall.
- Aesthetic Appeal – With their large silhouette and piercing cries, red-tailed hawks add drama and natural beauty.
Having hawks frequent your property allows you to closely observe their interesting behaviors and natural hunting skills.
Red-Tailed Hawk Habits and Habitat
To attract hawks, it’s helpful to understand their habits and habitat preferences:
Hunting and Feeding
Red-tailed hawks are carnivores that feed mainly on small mammals like voles, mice and rabbits. They also prey on birds, reptiles and amphibians. Hunting primarily occurs during daylight hours. Hawks survey for prey from an elevated perch, then swoop down to capture it in their talons. They dismember and consume prey while perched.
Nesting
Red-tailed hawks nest in tall trees, often near forest edges. They build large stick nests, adding fresh material each breeding season. Hawks are sensitive to disturbance near nest sites.
Roosting
Hawks roost in trees at night and will reuse favorite roost sites. Providing suitable roost trees encourages hawks to become habitual visitors.
Preferred Habitat
Red-tailed hawks occupy diverse habitats but prefer a mix of open and wooded areas, like agricultural fields bordered by trees. Access to perches with good views and nesting sites are habitat necessities.
Providing Food Sources
One strategy to attract hawks is providing food sources they prey on naturally:
Plant Ground Cover for Small Mammals
Plant native grasses and flowering plants to attract small mammals like voles and mice that hawks prey on. Clovers, alfalfa and prairie dropseed are good choices. Avoid mowing overgrown areas.
Install a Small Wildlife Pond
A pond will draw frogs, snakes, rodents and birds that can become prey. Position it near trees or structures that hawks can observe from.
Set Up Bird Feeders
Feeders stocked with seeds, suet and nectar will lure songbirds. Locate them in open areas visible from perches. Remove feeders at night to avoid attracting overnight rodents.
Build Brush Piles
Stacking pruned branches and fallen limbs provides shelter for rodents, rabbits and other potential hawk prey.
Avoid Pesticides
Using chemicals will reduce the prey population, so it’s best to avoid pesticides and use natural gardening methods.
Providing Water
Access to drinking and bathing water is another hawk attracting strategy:
Birdbath
Install a shallow birdbath with gradual sloping sides that hawks can easily get in and out of. Place flat rocks inside for perching. Refresh water daily.
Backyard Pond
In addition to drawing prey, a backyard pond provides hawks with a water source. Include a shallow section with rocks for accessibility.
Water Garden
A water garden with a small stream or fountain can serve as a hawkwatching hotspot as they are drawn in to bathe and drink.
Misting System
Misting systems mounted in trees periodically spray a fine mist that creates droplets hawks can drink from mid-air.
Dripping Faucet
Dripping water from an outdoor faucet into a container is an easy way to provide moisture. Refill the container as needed.
Offering Prime Perches
Hawks seek high perches with good visibility to scan for prey:
Dead Trees
Leave standing dead trees, or snags, as prime perching spots. Ensure they are safely away from houses.
Wooden Poles
Install tall wooden poles made from tree trunks in open areas around your property.
Platforms
Build a hawk observation platform with a roof on top of a pole. Or affix a wooden platform high up in a tree.
Roofline Perching
Encourage hawks to perch along roof ridges and gables by clearing branches and obstructions nearby.
Fence Posts
Wooden fence posts, especially at higher elevations or hilltops, allow convenient perching.
Shelter for Roosting
Providing suitable trees and structures for nighttime roosting can help make hawks regular visitors:
Large Trees
Prioritize preserving older mature trees that hawks prefer for nesting and roosting. Oak, pine, sycamore and cottonwood are good choices.
Evergreens
Thick evergreen trees offer shelter from wind and storms for winter night roosts.
Woodlots
Groups of trees together provide better protection than isolated trees. Avoid disturbance near woodlots.
Nesting Boxes
Install large nesting boxes made specifically for hawks on poles or in trees to supplement natural nest sites.
Hawk Tower
Hawk towers have open platforms for nesting and grated floors that allow droppings to fall through. Elevate on a pole in an open area.
Avoiding Disturbance
Red-tailed hawks are sensitive to human disturbance. Follow these tips to avoid deterring them from your yard:
- Don’t install bird feeders, ponds or perches too close to the house or high traffic areas.
- Route walking trails away from known nests or regular perches.
- Never approach an active nest or fledglings on the ground.
- Keep noise like machinery, dogs and loud music away from frequented areas.
- Limit construction and landscaping disruptions during nesting season.
When to Expect Hawks
The best times of year to spot red-tailed hawks are during:
- Nesting Season – February to July as pairs nest and raise young.
- Fall Migration – September through November as hawks migrate south.
- Winter – December through February when food is scarcest.
Be patient. It can take weeks or months before hawks become accustomed to using your yard. But the effort will pay off when you spot a red-tailed hawk alight on a perch you installed or drink from the pond you created. Soon your property may become a regular stopover for these regal raptors.
Conclusion
Attracting beautiful red-tailed hawks to your yard or property is very rewarding but does require some specific habitat accommodations. Providing perches, nest sites, food sources and water, while limiting disturbances, are key to enticing red-tails to take up residence. With strategic planning and patience, you can create an ideal haven that will draw these magnificent raptors in for regular visits. Watching red-tailed hawks soar, perch hunt and raise young in the habitat you created will be an enriching and unforgettable experience.
