For More Information
Red-tailed Hawk. Hawkwatch International.
Red-tailed Hawk
mlorenz, Shutterstock.
Red-tailed hawks are raptors classified as Buteos. Their large, broad wings and wide, fanned tails enable them to soar and glide for long periods while they scan for prey. They also search for prey while perched motionless in trees and, in the city, on utility poles.
Urban History
Seattle’s first Red-tailed Hawks were documented after Interstate 5 opened in the mid-1960s. They have long been familiar sights perch-hunting on street lights along I-5. In recent years they have nested in small numbers in Seattle, including the Aurora Bridge (since at least 2015), Duwamish Head Greenbelt, East Duwamish Greenbelt, Sand Point Country Club, and a private yard near I-5 & Northgate Mall.
(1) Wikimedia Creative Commons. (2) Wikimedia Creative Commons. (3) Paul Reeves Photography, Shutterstock. (4) Collins93, Shutterstock. (5)