What Do Hawks Eat?

Most people aren’t actually aware of what do hawks eat . Hawks are the large birds of prey that look similar to the eagles though slightly shorter. These birds are widespread all throughout the globe except in Polar Regions or Antarctica. Like eagles they also have splendid eyesight and sharp talons. Flying at a speed of 120 mph, hawks don’t often give second chance to their prey. They identify their prey with 99% precision. These types of species hunt with a lot of patience. Hawks are by far one of the most intelligent birds of prey. Hawks are also known to submerge birds before killing them and they won’t hesitate to take birds even from their feeders. They are also known for their surprise attacks. Now let’s talk about the hawk’s menu. This article gives you an overall insight about what do hawks eat!

Do you know what do hawks eat? No? Perhaps one of the chief reasons as to why people are ignorant is that these species cannot be kept under captivity. You don’t need keep this bird as a pet either! These birds of prey predominantly feed on mice, moles, rabbits, rats, shrew, owls, lizards, snakes, chipmunks, frogs, bats, fish, toads, waterfowl, small rodents, baby lambs, squirrels, bird’s eggs, and jackrabbits. Hawks occasionally feed on domesticated birds, ducks and chickens. The regular diet comprises small insects, grasshoppers, snakes, pigeons, sparrows, mourning doves, titmice, and cardinals. They can swallow bones and feathers of the prey with ease. Water intake is too little in the hawks’ diet; these birds also eat crabs, voles, small vertebrates, blue jay, American Robin Bird, cuckoos, icterids, woodpeckers, thrushes, pheasants, raptors, hares, prairie dog, short-eared owl, chukar, magpie, horned lark, burrowing owl, crustaceans, beetles, amphibians, monkeys, squamates, American Kestrel, marshes, and bromeliads. Few of the hawks’ species feed on songbirds, finches, nuthatches, flickers, wood-warblers, hummingbirds, partridges, gulls, grouse, waders, snowshoe hare, possums, corvids, passerines, red squirrels, American crows, earthworms, sloths, and marmosets. Swainson’s hawk usually catches bugs or flies during their flight. They normally feed on dragonflies, mallard ducks, crickets, sage, Dobson flies, free-tailed bats, quails, and locusts. Apart from the above preys, these birds are also renowned for killing large mammals like foxes, raccoons, and hares.

Where Do Hawks Live?

Except in Polar Regions and Antarctica, these birds of prey are widely distributed across the globe. One of the species, Goshawk is endemic to the North America and Europe. They are extensively found in the tropical and subtropical forests. These birds of prey breed in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, China, and Philippines. Hawks are especially the permanent residents of Himalayas of Bhutan in the winter season. Some of the species also inhabits in Congo, Cameron, lowlands of Senegal, Somalia, Namibia, Switzerland, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Solomon Islands, Tasmania, New Guinea, Russia, Greece, Egypt, Nigeria, Mexico, Brazil, South America, Argentine, Columbia, Venezuela, Panama, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Most of the species are known to exist in the boreal forests and at the altitude of 300 to 3000 metres.

New Harrier Hawk Species Have Been Discovered

Dannevirke, a local dairy farmer captured a new harrier hawk specie back in 2009 just for the sake of photography. However, as the news began to emerge in the local newspaper, the dairy farmer had been called by a court and was finally found guilty of illegally capturing two hawks, which were released after taking few photographs. Conservationists also confirmed these two newly discovered species. ⁽¹⁾