Hawk bird. Hawk lifestyle and habitat

One of the most dangerous, fast and furious predators among birds, of course, is the hawk, which has been noticed by people for its qualities since ancient times. It got its name due to the speed and swiftness of its flight; the word “astr” means “fast”, “swift”. Thus, the word “hawk” can be translated as “a bird with swift, swift flight.” And this characteristic accurately describes the essence of a hawk.

Description, structure characteristics

As for notorious predators, the size of hawks is relatively small - the largest of the hawks, the goshawk, weighs 1.5 kg, the length of the wings is no more than 30 cm and reaches a size of up to 68 cm in length. On average, the wing length of a hawk is no more than 26 cm, the weight of the hawk is 120 g, and the body length is 30 cm.

There is always feathering on the hawk's head. The hawk's beak is short, curved, strong, typical of birds of prey. At the base of the beak there is a cere, which is a bare area of ​​skin where the nostrils are located.

The eyes of a hawk are usually yellow or yellow-orange. It’s no secret that hawks have simply excellent vision, which is about 8 times sharper than our human vision. The eyes of this bird are turned slightly forward, so hawks use binocular vision and can clearly see an object with both eyes. Hawks' hearing is no less developed, but charm is by no means their strong point.

The color of hawks is usually gray-brown, gray, brown on top, while their bodies are light below: whitish, yellowish, ocher, but with dark transverse stripes. Although there are species of hawks, such as the light hawk, with lighter colors. It also happens that hawks of the same species can be colored differently.

The paws of hawks are yellow, the paws themselves are very powerful, possessing sharp claws that serve the hawks when hunting.

The hawk's wings are short and blunt, although species living in less wooded areas (song hawks, for example) have larger wings. The structure of their wings is explained by the conditions in which hawks live. And since they live in forests, everything is arranged in such a way that they have excellent maneuverability, a hawk can deftly fly through dense thickets, make instant turns, both in the horizontal and vertical directions, take off sharply and stop sharply just as quickly, make rapid throws. Thanks to such abilities, hawks always attack their prey unexpectedly. The wingspan of a hawk is up to 125 cm.

Hawks have the ability to make “kee-kee” sounds, which probably serve as some kind of communication between them. Among them there are also special singing hawks, whose sounds are very melodic, they are similar to the sound of a flute.

Lifestyle and behavioral characteristics

Forest thickets become the favorite habitat of hawks, where they can safely build their nests on the tallest trees. This helps the birds monitor any activity in the area. The hunting grounds of hawks themselves are located over a large area, the size of which can be more than 100 square kilometers.

Predators feel good in dense thickets among tall trees, as their flight characteristics give them the ability to maneuver well even in such difficult terrain. Their ability to instantly move in any direction leaves the victim virtually no chance of salvation. Hawks deftly turn around and stop, which allows them to change direction at any time.

Birds usually eat the caught prey whole, with giblets. This method of feeding makes it possible to directly obtain all the necessary nutritional components and allows you to make a kind of internal reserves. Usually the victim dies in the hands of the hawk, as he receives serious injuries due to the strong and sharp claws.

Birds do not have unique vocal signals by which they can be recognized. They communicate with a broken or drawn-out sound, reminiscent of a sharp “ki-ki.”

There are hawks that can communicate with each other using more melodic sounds.

Social structure

Hawks are solitary by nature, so they live mainly in pairs, preferring to avoid large gatherings of relatives. At the same time, birds are monogamous and, like swans, choose a partner once and for life. They unite in flocks only when wintering time comes and the hawks have to fly south. The rest of the time, each couple lives on their own.

Hawk family

Males in pairs show themselves as selfless and devoted protectors. They vigilantly monitor everything that happens on their territory, do not allow outsiders, and protect their partner and offspring. Birds always show great caution, despite the fact that they are excellent predators.

Nutrition

As we already wrote above, hawks are incorrigible predators; the basis of their diet consists of smaller birds, small mammals, fish,

frogs, snakes, can attack and eat even large insects. But their favorite food is the same feathered smaller birds: sparrows, finches, finches, wrens, thrushes, tits. Sometimes hawks can attack larger woodpeckers, pheasants, pigeons, crows, parrots, and even hunt domestic chickens. Among the mammals that go to hawks for lunch are mice, rats, voles, squirrels, rabbits, and hares. But Japanese hawks sometimes even hunt bats.

During a hunt, cunning hawks first lie in wait for their prey, then unexpectedly and swiftly attack it. At the same time, hawks are capable of equally dexterously catching both sitting and flying prey. Grabbing her with his powerful paws, he squeezes her tightly, while piercing her with his sharp claws. After this, it eats its victim.

But what do little hawks eat? These young predators eat worms, flies and

mosquitoes

What does it eat?

The hawk caught the dove
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Hawks are birds of prey that feed mainly on animal foods. Chicks and young individuals eat larvae, insects, frogs and small rodents. As they grow older, hawks begin to hunt large prey such as pheasants, hazel grouse, squirrels, hares, and rabbits.

Hawks hunt during daylight hours, once every two days, since they have a special “bag” in their stomach, in which part of the caught and eaten prey is stored, and from there it gradually enters the stomach.

Hawks are known for their excellent vision; while soaring in the sky, they look out for prey at distances of several kilometers. Having tracked down the prey, the bird rushes down with lightning speed and grabs it with its powerful tenacious paws. During the chase, the hawk concentrates on its prey to such an extent that it sometimes does not notice obstacles in its path, for example, a tree, a house or even a train.

Difference from falcon

Hawks are often confused with other birds of prey - falcons, but let's try to describe the differences between them.

Natural enemies of the goshawk

Photo: What a goshawk looks like

By and large, the goshawk does not have many natural enemies, since these birds are at the top of the food chain of winged predators. She herself is a natural enemy for many birds and small forest game.

However, foxes can pose the greatest danger to young animals. These are one of the most intelligent forest predators who are capable of guarding prey for hours, and if a young bird gapes, the fox is quite capable of attacking a hawk.

At night, hawks can be threatened by owls and eagle owls. Goshawks do not see well in the dark, which is what owls, which are ideal nocturnal predators, take advantage of. They may well attack chicks at night without fear of retaliation from adult hawks.

Other birds of prey, whose size exceeds the size of a hawk, can also pose a tangible threat. For example, in the United States, hawks and eagles live in close proximity, and eagles, as larger birds, dominate over hawks and do not at all disdain hunting them.

In addition, if there is not enough game, hawks can engage in cannibalism and eat smaller and weaker relatives or their broods. However, the greatest danger to goshawks comes from people who hunt birds for beautiful plumage or to make beautiful and spectacular stuffed animals.

Difference from a kite

Hawks are also confused with kites; below we will present the main differences between these birds.

• The kite has shorter and weaker legs compared to the hawk.
• The tail of a kite is strongly notched, while that of a hawk is rounded.
• The beak of a kite is more elongated and weaker than that of a hawk.
• But the wings of a kite, on the contrary, are longer than those of a hawk.
• The kite is not as skilled a hunter as the hawk; its diet usually consists of carrion, garbage, and sometimes it can even steal food from other birds of prey. The same cannot be said about the hawk, an excellent and skillful hunter.

Goshawk in the Red Book

Constant disturbance by people during the nesting period, illegal shooting, destruction of nests - all these factors have led to a decrease in the number of goshawks.

Current population situation

Goshawk - This individual is a vulnerable species and its numbers were estimated to be greater than thought. But according to the latest forecasts, there is a possibility that the population is beginning to decline. Therefore, the state of the species is equated with threats.

Current population estimates are as follows:

• Russia – 25,000;
• Asian countries - 35,000;
• Africa – 20,000;
• USA – 30,000;
• Europe – 4,000.

Of course, the calculations are approximate, but there is a possibility that for every hundred thousand square meters there are 4-5 hawks.

Are protective measures required?

Currently, due to the small population, drastic measures have been introduced to protect bird predators:

1. habitat protection;
2. restricted access of tourists to the nesting site;
3. Landowners who protect nests are encouraged.

Research is also being carried out on the fragmentation of habitats for this species.

Types, photos and names

Next we will describe the most interesting species of hawks in our opinion.

goshawk

This representative of the hawk family is the largest of them, its weight reaches 1.5 kg, body length is 52-68 cm. Moreover, females are larger than males. Also, due to its size, this species is also called a large hawk. Its feathers are short and slightly curled. Brown on top and white on bottom. It lives in Eurasia and North America, and is also found in Africa, but only in Morocco.

African goshawk

A hardy bird with strong legs and sharp claws. The body length is 36-39 cm, weight reaches 500 g. The colors are darker. As the name suggests, the African goshawk lives in the northern, eastern and western regions of Africa.

Sparrowhawk

He is also a small hawk - a very small representative of the kingdom of hawks. Its body length is only 30-43 cm, and its weight is no more than 280 g. Its color is typical of hawks. The habitat of the small hawk is almost all of Europe, as well as the northern regions of Africa.

light hawk

It got its name due to its bright light color. Although zoologists distinguish two varieties of this type of hawk: gray and white, again depending on the color. Light hawks live exclusively in Australia.

Crested Hawk

Lives in Southeast Asia. A distinctive feature of this species of hawk is the presence of a comb or crest on the lower part of the back of the head. Otherwise, the crested hawk is similar to its other relatives.

European tuvik

He's a short-legged hawk. Another small representative of the genus of hawks, has a body length of 30-38 cm and a weight of up to 220 g. The legs of this hawk are short, hence the second name. It lives in southern Europe, including in the south of our country Ukraine, and also in the Ukrainian Crimea. This species of hawk is thermophilic and with the onset of winter cold it goes south for the winter - to northern Africa, Asia Minor, Iran.

Red Hawk

It is also a very large representative of the hawk family, its length reaches 60 cm, and all 1-1.4 kg. Its plumage is reddish with various black spots. The red hawk lives exclusively in Australia; it loves parrots (as food, of course) and other smaller feathered animals.

Where does it live?

Hawks are found in all corners of our planet. These predators are most common in North (up to Alaska) and South America, as well as in the mountains and forests of Eurasia. Small hawks live in Africa and Australia.

Hawks inhabit mainly old relict forests, since they are forced out of open areas by hunters who shoot them.

Reproduction

Hawks are family birds that love to build solid nests for their offspring. These birds begin nest construction 1.5-2 months before mating, in deciduous or coniferous forests. Nests are usually built from dry twigs.

Fun fact: Hawks are monogamous and mate for life, just like swans. They lay their eggs once a year and do this for several days. A clutch can contain from 2 to 6 eggs. The female incubates them, and the male, as a decent breadwinner, brings food.

After the chicks hatch, the male continues to bring food for a couple of weeks, but it is their mother who feeds the little hawks. After some time, the female also begins to fly out to hunt, but for another 1-2 months the parent hawks continue to care for their offspring. Having matured and become independent, young hawks fly away from their parents’ nest forever.

Taming and caring for a baby hawk

It is important to note that wherever you get a hawk, you must obtain a permit to keep a bird of prey from the Ministry of Environmental Protection. You can then purchase a captive-bred bird or find a hawk's nest and take the chick from there. In any case, for home keeping you should take a young hawk, which will quickly get used to the owner and easily adapt to new conditions.

Before bringing the bird home, you should prepare a place for it in advance. Then you need to find the hawks' nest, but it is better not to approach it until the chicks appear. Sometimes females, sensing danger, abandon incubation of the eggs. When offspring appear, the parents will not abandon the nest. It is better to take a chick that has reached the age of 8–14 days. At the age of one week, babies are already able to shed pellets - undigested bones and skin of victims.

The chick will need to be fed up to 5 times a day. Young birds should be given fresh carcasses of sparrows, pigeons, rooks and other common bird species. Part of the diet may consist of frozen meat, which has been in the freezer for no more than 2 weeks. Day-old chicks will help diversify your diet.

HELPFUL INFORMATION. Before the next feeding, be sure to ensure that there are no food residues in the crop. Usually all food is digested by a hawk in 4–6 hours. The following feeding regimen is suitable for this predator:

• 7:00–8:00 hours;
• 13:00–14:00 hours;
• 1 hour before dark.

A hungry hawk can eat a double portion of food. In this case, the next feeding should be postponed.

If the hawk refuses to eat, it is recommended to wait for a while and then offer food again. The cause may be an undiscarded pellet, too fatty meat, or hot weather. Prolonged starvation of the chick will negatively affect the formation of its breasts and the quality of its plumage. Scientists' observations showed that in cool years, young hawks grew up with wider chests than those born during hot summers.

What to feed at home

Keeping a hawk is quite an exotic matter, but nevertheless, if you have a representative of this feathered family in captivity, keep in mind that the hawk should be fed with food that is natural to them - it is best if it is rodents purchased in a special store. You can, of course, feed it with store-bought meat, but such food will not provide the hawk with all the nutrients it needs. Also keep in mind that in captivity these birds experience extreme stress and it is possible that at first the hawk will even have to be force-fed.

Hawks in captivity

Hawks are quite easy to tame. The first days it is difficult to feed. You have to give pieces of meat on a stick and push them down the throat when he opens his beak. But after a few days the hawk takes food from the hand.

They hunt with hawks in many countries of the world, usually for game, but in Africa they manage to use them in hunting antelopes. Of course, a hawk cannot cope with an antelope, but it can easily lead it astray, and then it’s up to the dogs and hunters.

It is interesting that in the Caucasus and Crimea, hawks are tamed, hunted with them, and after the end of the hunting season they are released into the wild.

Feeding a hawk in captivity is not easy. Minced meat can be fed, but not for long. Their digestive system is designed in such a way that they definitely need bones, feathers and wool. Therefore, they usually buy mice for them in special stores.

Interesting Facts

• In some places, small birds live under the nests of hawks.

hummingbird The fact is that hummingbirds are not of gastronomic interest to hawks, but their natural enemies: jays and squirrels, on the contrary, are very interesting. Thus, hummingbirds, with the help of hawks, protect themselves from squirrels.

Attitudes towards hawks among different peoples

For many peoples, the hawk is considered a symbol of fortitude, power and dexterity. But at the same time, the bird is associated with threat, darkness, death. Among pagan tribes, the hawk was the messenger of the Sun. People believed that a bird could fly to the star without blinking and without fear of its light. In Russian legends and epics, the hawk was often represented as a symbol of danger and military aggression. It is believed that the name of the bird comes from the words str - speed of reaction, flight, and reb - motley.

In Ancient Egypt and Rome, the hawk was considered the messenger of Apollo and the bird of the sorceress Circe. In Scandinavian countries, this bird was the embodiment of the supreme god Odin. Galicians and some peoples living on the territory of Poland considered the hawk a devil.

To protect poultry from predators, various amulets were made. There were many signs and beliefs associated with this. For example, the Poles believed that to prevent a chicken from being carried away by a hawk, its first egg should be given to a poor man. Belarusians believed that you should not burn an old broom, otherwise a bird of prey will start dragging ducks and chickens.

Video

And in conclusion, an interesting documentary about hawks from the National Geographic channel called “Goshawk - Phantom of the Forest.”

Author: Pavel Chaika, editor-in-chief of Poznavaika magazine

When writing the article, I tried to make it as interesting, useful and high-quality as possible. I would be grateful for any feedback and constructive criticism in the form of comments on the article. You can also write your wish/question/suggestion to my email [email protected] or Facebook, with respect, the author.

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Appearance

The hawk has small, wide wings, the average size of which varies up to 35 cm. Since hawks mainly live and hunt in the forest, with large wings it will be difficult for them to take off and maneuver among the trees. However, the wingspan of females reaches more than 1 meter . This can be explained by the fact that they are usually larger than males. The weight of “girls” reaches 2 kilograms, with a body length of 60-65 centimeters , while the weight of “boys” ranges from 650 to 1150 grams .

The large eyes are mostly yellow, as is the cere above the beak. Sometimes you can find individuals with orange eyes, and at the puffin they are completely red-brown. The beak is short and slightly curved.

Hawks have excellent binocular vision 9 times superior to human vision . Such vision and excellent hearing make them unsurpassed hunters. True, nature did not reward such birds with charm; it is very weak. The powerful yellow paws have long fingers with sharp claws.

The color of a hawk depends on the type of bird. Most individuals have a brown, gray and brown tint . In Kamchatka, for example, you can find white hawks, and in some regions black ones from the hawk family have been spotted.

This type of bird has a peculiarity in its appearance. Above the eyes are white “eyebrows” that connect at the back of the head. The rather long tail has a semicircular shape and an even cut.

There are many types of hawks distinguished not only by color, but also by voice. Most types are characterized by a sound something similar to “ki-ki-ki” , this is how they communicate with each other. However, there are singing hawks, they are distinguished by the melody of their voice, reminiscent of the sound of a flute.

A couple is formed for life

These are monogamous birds that begin to look for a new mate only if the previous pair has died. To impress the female, the male actually dances in the air. His dance can last up to 10 minutes. The pair builds their nest high in a tree. Species that live in swamps build nests on the ground. Parents take care of their offspring until the chicks fly out of the nest.

Conservation status of the black hawk eagle

The distribution of the black hawk eagle covers more than 9 million square kilometers. Within this vast territory, the presence of this species of birds of prey is considered to be quite local. Accurate information on population density is not available. However, in some areas the number of black hawk eagle has declined sharply. This decline is due to a number of reasons: deforestation, the influence of disturbance factors, uncontrolled hunting. According to inaccurate data, the number of individuals of the black hawk is estimated between 20,000 and 50,000. This species of bird of prey is able to adapt to the presence of humans better than other species of raptors living in this region, which is a special guarantee for the future. The black hawk eagle is classified as a species of least threatened in abundance.

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Diet

Buzzards prefer warm-blooded prey, such as ground squirrels, small hares, pikas, and, in extreme cases, snakes, lizards and large insects like locusts. In conditions of severe starvation in winter, they can only occasionally eat carrion.

Unlike eagles, the steppe hawk does not soar in the sky, waiting for prey, it sees it with a sharp look and attacks with lightning speed, grabs and strangles it with its strong paws, stabs it with sharp claws, and then eats it along with its fur and bones.

Gophers have always been carriers of plague and other infectious diseases. A sick animal is unable to hide from a rapidly attacking hawk.

This is how a kind of selection and destruction of sick and weakened individuals by the predator occurs. A natural balance is established between rodents, birds of prey and humans.

Habitats of the black hawk - eagle

The black hawk eagle lives under the forest canopy in the humid tropics and subtropics. It is most often found close to the shore or along rivers. This type of bird of prey is also found on land plots in the process of regeneration and semi-open forest areas. The black hawk eagle also lives in low-lying areas and plains, but prefers hilly areas. It is observed, as a rule, in morcelées forests, but does not neglect other forest formations, including trees that form the forest canopy. The black eagle is a hawk that rises to altitudes from sea level to 2,000 meters. But its usual habitat is between 200 and 1,500 meters.