Red tail hawks are powerful birds of prey that are found throughout most of North America. Their eating habits and hunting behaviors are fascinating to observe in the wild. Read on to learn more about how often red tail hawks eat.
What Do Red Tail Hawks Eat?
The red tail hawk is an opportunistic predator that feeds on a wide variety of small animals. Their most common prey includes rodents like mice, voles and ground squirrels. They also frequently hunt rabbits, snakes, lizards, amphibians, and small birds.
Less common prey that red tails have been known to eat include fish, crustaceans, bats, weasels, rats, prairie dogs, and insects. They have even been seen hunting young livestock like pigs, lambs, and poultry on occasion.
In urban and suburban areas, red tails will readily adapt to hunting pigeons, doves and other city-dwelling birds. They are intelligent hunters and extremely adept at utilizing their environment to find food.
How Much Does a Red Tail Hawk Eat Per Day?
An adult red tail hawk eats between 4 and 6 ounces of food per day on average. That equates to about 120-180 grams of food daily. However, how much a red tail eats can vary based on a few factors:
- Age – Young red tails will eat less while they are still growing, increasing their intake as they mature.
- Time of Year – Breeding season stimulates an increased appetite, as does preparation for migration.
- Availability of Prey – Access to plentiful food means red tails can eat more.
- Weather Conditions – Colder weather requires more calories for warmth.
Here is an approximate breakdown of how much food red tails require based on age:
Age | Food Required Per Day |
---|---|
Nestlings | 1/2 to 1 ounce |
Fledglings | 2 to 3 ounces |
Juveniles | 3 to 5 ounces |
Adults | 4 to 6 ounces |
As you can see, food intake increases significantly as young red tails grow and become accomplished hunters in their own right. Most adult red tails eat between 1/4 and 1/3 pounds of food per day.
How Often Does a Red Tail Hawk Eat Per Day?
The frequency with which red tails eat varies as well. They typically eat 1-2 large meals per day. These raptors have a very efficient digestive system and can go days between feedings if necessary. Here are some general guidelines on how often they eat based on circumstances:
- Breeding Season – During spring and early summer when they are nesting, red tails may eat 1-2 times per day to support increased energy needs.
- Winter Months – More frequent smaller meals, sometimes up to 3-4 times daily, provide energy during cold periods.
- Migration – Fattening up pre-migration, red tails gorge more often to pack on weight for long flights.
- Scarce Prey – When prey is hard to find, they may go several days between meals.
- Abundant Prey – With readily available food, they may eat more often and take advantage of abundance.
Normally red tail hawks tend to eat just once or twice on most days. They digest their food slowly, which allows them to survive without eating daily if needed. Their meals are usually substantial in size when they do eat.
How Does Hunting Habitat Impact Feeding?
The habitat red tail hawks hunt and live in impacts their access to prey and in turn, how much and how often they eat. Red tails thrive in open country with high perches and plenty of prey.
Here is an overview of how habitat influences their feeding patterns:
- Rural Environments – Farmlands, grasslands, deserts and savannas provide good populations of ground squirrels, rabbits and mice. Food is plentiful for rural red tails.
- Urban/Suburban Areas – While less natural, cities still allow red tails to find copious rats, mice and pigeons. Urban red tails eat as much as rural ones.
- Woodlands – Forest-dwelling red tails must work harder for meals and eat slightly less than open country hawks. Prey consists of snakes, grouse, jays, woodpeckers etc.
- Coastlines – Access to fish and seabirds allows coastal red tails to eat frequently. They feast on gulls, ducks, shorebirds and crab.
- Mountains – Thinner air and rugged terrain make hunting more difficult in the mountains. High country red tails eat a bit less than average.
As these examples demonstrate, the more robust and readily available the prey sources in a habitat, the more frequently red tails tend to feed. They are highly adaptable hunters capable of exploiting food sources wherever they live.
Do Red Tails Hunt and Eat at Night?
Red tail hawks are diurnal raptors, which means they are primarily active during daylight hours. Most of their hunting takes place from dawn to dusk. It is rare to see red tails hunting or eating at night.
There are a couple exceptions where they occasionally exploit food sources after dark:
- Dusk and Dawn – In low light at dawn and dusk, red tails can still spot and pursue prey.
- Full Moons – The brighter nights of a full moon phase give red tails some visibility for limited nocturnal hunting.
- Artificial Lights – Stadium lights, city lights and other outdoor illumination sources allow red tails to spot night time prey.
- Night Roosts – Sitting on a nighttime perch, red tails may opportunistically swoop down on roosting flocks or mammal burrows.
While uncommon, red tails equipped to handle the challenge can be effective nighttime hunters when conditions allow it. Their eyesight is up to 8 times better than humans, so even moderate low light from the moon or artificial sources helps them spot and attack prey.
Do They Eat Every Day?
Due to their slow digestion and ability to gorge, red tail hawks do not need to eat daily. During times of scarce prey, they have been known to go days between feedings. However, they usually eat at least 4-5 times per week under normal conditions.
Here are some scenarios where red tails might skip daily feedings:
- Migration – Eating sparingly while flying long distances to conserve energy.
- Cold Winter – Prey becomes harder to find and catch.
- Breeding Season – Focus on mating may disrupt normal hunting patterns for periods.
- Illness/Injury – Decreased activity and appetite during recovery.
- Molting – Energy is diverted to new feather growth over hunting.
Healthy red tails have certainly been documented surviving 2 weeks or longer without food. But they begin to weaken after 5-7 days without eating. When prey is available, they gladly eat daily or multiple times per day.
Do They Always Feed Their Young?
Once red tail hawk chicks hatch, the parents take on the busy job of caring for and providing food for the nestlings. For the first 2-3 weeks, the female stays at the nest almost full time to brood the young hawks. Meanwhile the male does all the hunting to provide food.
The male red tail will work diligently to supply the female and demanding nestlings with frequent meals. He may need to capture prey and return to the nest up to 5-10 times per day. Some of the factors that determine nesting feeding frequency include:
- Number of Chicks – More chicks = more frequent feedings.
- Prey Availability – Abundant food means delivering more meals.
- Chick Age – Younger chicks need to be fed more often.
- Parent Experience – First time parents may struggle to find enough food.
- Habitat Quality – Better hunting habitat increases feeding rates.
The female red tail eats very little herself during early nesting. She relies on the male to provide frequent meals so she and the chicks can eat. As the chicks grow, the female will start joining the male in hunting duties after the first 2-3 weeks.
How Does Captivity Impact Eating Habits?
In zoo environments or with falconers, red tail hawks adjust their normal eating patterns to life in captivity. Factors can include:
- No Hunting – Food is provided rather than captured, sometimes altering frequency.
- Training – Positive reinforcement uses food rewards to gain cooperation during training.
- Exhibition – Public shows may involve slightly modified diets and timing.
- Exercise – Captive red tails burn fewer calories through flying so may eat less.
- Veterinary Care – Diet changes under medical advice to treat certain conditions.
Most reputable raptor caretakers feed their red tails quite well to ensure good health. But the dynamics of gaining food through hunting vs being provided meals can lead to some changes in how much and how often captive red tails eat compared to wild ones.
Conclusion
In summary, red tail hawks are efficient hunters that have versatile diets and feeding habits. The most important factors that impact how much and how often red tails eat include:
- Age
- Breeding/Nesting Status
- Time of Year
- Habitat and Prey Availability
- Weather and Environmental Conditions
- Activity Level and Health Status
While adaptable to intermittent feedings, wild red tails tend to eat small-medium sized prey 1-2 times per day under normal circumstances. Their eating patterns allow them to thrive across an impressive range of habitats.