Whether you live on a farm or in the city, you might be able to see a red tailed hawk because they live in many different habitats and are active during the day. The hawk could be on top of a utility pole overlooking a city park, in a tree at the edge of a cornfield or on a cactus in a scrub desert. They like elevated perches overlooking open areas where their sharp eyes can search for prey. They can spot the movement of a mouse, rabbit or lizard from a long distance; then they make a rapid dive and capture their victims with their powerful claws. Birds like the red tailed hawk that have excellent eyesight, strong talons, sharp hooked beaks and eat other animals are called raptors or birds of prey. As adults they have few predators, but owls and crows may try to make a meal of hawk eggs and nestlings.

If you want to see a red tailed hawk, you might first look to see if you can find its nest in a tall tree. Nests can be up to three feet across and three feet tall and are made of twigs lined with softer materials such as corn husks, bark and pine needles. To “clean” their nests, hawks will add a new layer of materials several times during the breeding season. Next, look to high perches to see if you can spot a bird with a rusty red tail. Only adult red tailed hawks have this color tail; young birds have gray to brown tails. One other way you might be able to tell a red tailed hawk from other large birds is the way it flies. Like turkey vultures red tailed hawks often soar along thermals and use very few wing flaps. (Birds that flap constantly are more likely members of the crow family.) Unlike turkey vultures whose wings are v-shaped, red tailed hawks fly with wings that are flat and level.