In the opening paragraphs, it’s important to quickly answer the main question posed in the title. The Harris’s hawk, also known as the bay-winged hawk or dusky hawk, is classified as a species of least concern according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. This means that while the Harris’s hawk global population is estimated to be decreasing, it is not currently considered rare or endangered.
Description
The Harris’s hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) is a medium-sized bird of prey that is native to the desert southwest of the United States and Mexico. It is brown on top with a white underbelly and reddish shoulders, and its legs and cere (the bare skin on the base of the bill) are yellow. The Harris’s hawk is larger and stockier than many other hawk species. Its key identifying features include:
- Size: Length ranges from 17-24 inches, wingspan ranges from 40-46 inches
- Coloration: Brown upperparts, white underparts with reddish markings on shoulder, yellow legs/cere
- Tail: Relatively short and dark brown, with white band at base
- Wings: Broad, rounded wings; undersides of wings have rich reddish-brown coloration
- Head: Dark brown crown and nape; pale throat
The Harris’s hawk exhibits a behavior known as cooperative breeding, where young hawks from previous nestings will assist parents in raising new broods. This is very rare among raptors. They are highly social and hunt cooperatively in groups of two to six. Their diet consists mainly of small mammals like mice, rats, and rabbits, as well as some birds, reptiles, and insects.
Range
The Harris’s hawk has a range that includes parts of the southwestern United States and Mexico. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, its breeding range includes:
- Southwestern United States: Southeastern California, southern Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas
- Mexico: North-central Baja California, Sonora and Chihuahua south to northern Sinaloa
Within this range, Harris’s hawks occupy varied habitat types including desert, arid scrubland, grasslands, agricultural areas, and some open woodlands up to 6,500 feet in elevation. Their range has expanded since the 1930s as they’ve adapted to more human-altered environments.
Population and Conservation Status
According to the IUCN Red List, the global population size for the Harris’s hawk is estimated to be declining but remains large, with between 250,000-999,999 mature individuals. Based on this, their conservation status is classified as Least Concern. Their numbers today are likely much lower than historical levels prior to habitation of the southwestern US. However, major threats are not severe enough to warrant listing the Harris’s hawk as threatened or endangered.
Some key facts about the Harris’s hawk population and conservation status:
- Global population estimate of 250,000-999,999 mature individuals
- Population trend appears to be decreasing but rate of decline is not sufficient to warrant threatened/endangered status
- Main threats include habitat loss, human activity/disturbance, collisions with vehicles
- Legally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the U.S.
- IUCN Red List status: Least Concern
While not currently rare or endangered, active conservation efforts are still needed to protect the Harris’s hawk in the face of ongoing habitat degradation and high mortality rates in some areas from vehicle collisions and human activity.
Comparison to Other Hawks
The Harris’s hawk has a more restricted range compared to many other hawk species that are widespread across North America. Here is how it compares to a few other common hawks:
Species | Population Trend | Range | Key Habitats |
---|---|---|---|
Harris’s hawk | Decreasing | Southwest U.S. and Mexico | Desert, arid scrub, grasslands |
Red-tailed hawk | Stable | Across most of North America | Woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, parks |
Red-shouldered hawk | Increasing | Eastern half of North America | Forests, wetlands |
The Harris’s hawk has a much more limited range concentrated in the arid southwest, while the red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks occupy broader ranges across North America. The Harris’s hawk relies on desert and scrubland habitats, while the other two species occupy more varied wooded and wetland areas. Overall, the Harris’s hawk has a relatively small global population and restricted range compared to these other common North American hawks.
Unique Adaptations
The Harris’s hawk has evolved some unique physical and behavioral adaptations for surviving in its desert environment, including:
Cooperative Hunting
Harris’s hawks hunt in coordinated groups of 2-6 birds to pursue prey over large areas of sparse desert terrain. This cooperative pack hunting gives them an advantage in capturing prey like rabbits, rodents, and lizards.
Heat Tolerance
They can withstand hot temperatures up to 116°F through cooling behaviors like gular fluttering (rapid flapping of throat skin) and urohidrosis (defecating on legs for evaporative cooling).
Water Conservation
Specialized kidneys allow them to minimize water loss through efficient moisture reabsorption.
Keen Eyesight
Excellent long-distance vision adapted for spotting prey movement across open desert landscape.
Broad Wings
The Harris’s hawk has short, broad wings well-suited for the slow-speed maneuvering required for hunting in scrub and desert vegetation.
These special adaptations allow the Harris’s hawk to thrive in the harsh desert environments of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico that many other raptors cannot tolerate.
Importance of Conservation
Though not currently threatened, conservation efforts remain important for the Harris’s hawk due to factors like:
- Habitat loss as development expands into native desert areas
- Fragmentation of habitat that disrupts foraging territories
- Human disturbance near nest sites that impacts breeding success
- Vehicle collisions, a significant source of mortality in some areas
- Secondary poisoning from rodenticides and pesticides
Initiatives like preserving patches of undisturbed desert scrub and grasslands, implementing responsible land management practices, enforcing regulations on use of toxins, and mitigating vehicle collisions can all help protect Harris’s hawk populations. Though adaptable to human proximity, they still require appropriate habitat to maintain thriving populations. Keeping this unique and ecologically important desert raptor common will require ongoing conservation focus.
Conclusion
In summary, while the Harris’s hawk has a relatively small global population and limited range concentrated in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, it remains common within its range and is not currently considered rare or threatened. However, active conservation efforts are still needed to preserve its desert habitat and protect it from increasing human impacts and mortality threats. With appropriate habitat management and mitigation of key threats, the distinctive Harris’s hawk and its fascinating social cooperative hunting behaviors can continue to thrive as a icon of the Southwest for years to come.