Red Tailed Hawk Research Paper

Being able to fly is the ultimate freedom. Out of the abundant animals that occupy this planet, birds have been the most influential to humanity. The obsession of flight or flying like a bird has been enduring since human’s earliest history. Ancient Greek myths like Pegasus, the winged horse, and Icarus and Daedalus, the father and son duo that flew from King Minos’ prison by engineering wings made out of wax and feathers are examples of human imagination in defying gravity. Furthermore, various religious beliefs such as Christianity, Catholicism, Judaism, and Islam, all have depictions of winged beings or angels. Cultures throughout history has been obsessed with the thought of aviation and it was not until the 1400’s, where we start to see

They can also adapt living urban areas and many large cities. They usually perch high above ground, which is an ideal place for searching below for food. The Red-tailed hawk population status is currently at lower risk. A population analysis posted on the All About Birds website describing the 1996-2010 North American Breeding Bird Survey suggests a population increase with a total of 2.3 million in which 75 percent are in the United States (“Red-tailed Hawk”, n.d.). In other words, Red-tailed hawks are an abundant species receiving a rate of only 6 out of 20 on the continental concern score excluding them out of the 2012 watch list. Moreover, nest sites can be large and are often found in the taller trees high above ground and atop high cliff ledges. The nests are bowl shaped and are made up of sticks and leafy green branches measuring up to 6.5 feet high and 3 feet across with both male and female contributing in the construction of the nest. Fundamentally, the nests are made high above ground where they can have a dominant perspective of their surrounding landscape. Female Red-tailed hawks usually produce 1 to 5 eggs with an incubation period of between 28 to 35 days and a nestling period of between 42-46 days. The female stays with the young during the first week while the male brings the food to the nest. Audubon, an online guide to North American birds describes that after 4 to 5 weeks, food is dropped in the nest and young learn to feed for themselves. Thereafter, the young leaves the nest after about 6 to 7 weeks after hatching (“Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis”, n.d.). The young can develop rather quickly and their feathers begin to grow allowing the young to take its first flight around the 42 days