Great Horned Owl - Barn Owl - American Kestrel - Harris Hawk - Red-Tailed Hawk

From the The Peregrine Fund - World Center for Birds of Prey http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/owls/grethorn.html

 MEASUREMENTS: The Great Horned Owl has a body length of 18 - 25 inches, a wingspan up to 5 feet, and weighs 2 - 5 pounds.

 HABITAT: Great Horned Owls are found in a wide variety of wooded habitats, including forests, swamps, deserts, rocky areas, farmland, and urban areas from sea level to 12,000 feet, throughout much of North and South America.

DIET: This owl eats a variety of small to medium mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, insects, and occasionally carrion if other food is scarce. Great Horned Owls hunt at dusk and during the night from a perch, while flying low over the ground, walking on the ground, or wading into water.

REPRODUCTION: Great Horned Owls nest in other birds’ stick nests, natural tree hollows, man-made platforms, or on cliff ledges or cave entrances. The female usually lays 1 - 3 eggs that are incubated for 26 - 35 days. The young birds start to wander away from the nest in 6 - 7 weeks, but don’t fully learn to fly until about 10 - 12 weeks of age. The fledglings are tended by the parents for up to 5 months. This owl typically matures in 2 years.

NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name comes from the Latin word bubo, which refers to an owl, and the Latinized name for the state of Virginia, where the first specimen was taken for scientific collection. The common name refers to the large size of the bird and the feather tufts on its head. This owl has also been called Big Hoot Owl, Cat Owl, Chicken Owl, Eagle Owl, Horned Owl, and King Owl.

INTERESTING FACTS:

• The Great Horned Owl is referred to as “the tiger of the sky” because of its fierce nature and ability to capture a wide variety of prey that may be larger or heavier than the owl. The Great Horned Owl is one of the few species that occasionally preys on skunks.
• In humid habitats, the plumage of this owl tends to be darker brown, whereas in arid areas the Great Horned Owl may be lighter in color. This is a typical plumage color trend in many animals.

http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/owls/barnowl.html

MEASUREMENTS: The Barn Owl has a body length of 14 - 20 inches, a 3 1/2 foot wingspan, and weighs 8 - 21 ounces. Barn Owl measurements vary greatly throughout the world.

HABITAT: Barn Owls are nearly cosmopolitan, living in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Their northern range is limited by the severity of winter weather and food availability. These owls prefer open lowlands with some trees, including farmlands, plantations, urban areas, various forest types, semiarid shrub lands, and marshes.

DIET: The majority of prey taken is small mammals, but Barn Owls will also hunt birds, fish, reptiles, and insects. Barn Owls hunt from a perch and swoop down onto their prey, or fly within 10 feet of the ground and dive onto their prey with their talons extended.

REPRODUCTION: Barn Owls nest in natural hollows in trees, cliffs, and caves, or in man-made structures, like nest boxes, barns, chimneys, and other structures. The nest is a scrape lined with pellets or other debris. The female lays 4 - 7 eggs, sometimes more, which are incubated for 29 - 34 days. Young owls fledge 7 - 10 weeks after hatching, but do not leave the area until they are 3 - 5 months old. The breeding pair may lay a second clutch of eggs when the young start to leave the area. A Barn Owl can reproduce at less than a year old.

NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name comes from the Greek word tyto, which refers to an owl, and alba, the Latin word for white. The common name refers to the owl’s use of man-made structures, like barns, as roosts and nest sites. This owl has also been called Monkey-faced Owl, White Owl, Ghost Owl, and Night Owl.

INTERESTING FACTS:

• Barn Owls have been associated with omens, witchcraft, and death. Throughout history they were used as symbols, in myths, and as part of superstitious potions.
• During laboratory experimentation, Barn Owls have shown that by using their hearing they can catch prey in total darkness.
• Of all the owls studied, the Barn Owl shows the best ability to discern exactly where a sound is coming from, and is able to memorize the complex sounds associated with a certain type of prey.

From the The Peregrine Fund - World Center for Birds of Prey http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/falcons/amkestrl.html

MEASUREMENTS: The American Kestrel has a body length of 9 - 12 inches, a wingspan of 20 - 24 inches, and weighs 3 1/2 - 5 1/2 ounces.

HABITAT: American Kestrels are found throughout most of North, Central, and South America. They inhabit tropical lowlands, deserts, urban areas, and open-altered lands, such as agricultural fields.

DIET: Kestrels feed mainly on crickets, grasshoppers, mice, voles, lizards, and snakes. This falcon searches for its prey from an overlooking perch or by hovering in the air. When the prey is spotted, the kestrel will plunge down to catch it.

REPRODUCTION: Kestrels are cavity nesters, using natural hollows in trees, cacti, dirt banks and cliffs, or man-made boxes, building ledges, and other cavities in buildings. Females lay 4 - 6 eggs. The eggs are incubated about 28 days and the young birds fledge about 28 days after hatching. Kestrels are able to reproduce as early as 1 year of age.

NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name comes from the Latin word falco, meaning hook-shaped (falcate) and may refer to the beak or claws, and espervier, the Latinized French word for a sparrow hawk and probably refers to its size and prey. The American Kestrel has been called a Sparrow Hawk, Killy Hawk (for the sound they make), or Windhover (for their ability to hover). 

INTERESTING FACTS:

• The American Kestrel is the smallest and most numerous of the North American falcons.
• While the young birds are practicing their hunting skills, kestrels will often hunt in family units.
• There is a color difference between the sexes. The male kestrel has blue on its wings, while the female is mostly brown.

From the The Peregrine Fund - World Center for Birds of Prey http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/hawks/harrishk.html

MEASUREMENTS: The Harris’ Hawk has a body length of 18 - 24 inches, a wingspan of 3 1/2 - 4 feet, and weighs 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 pounds.

HABITAT: These hawks are found in semiarid habitats like savannas, chaparrals, scrub prairies, and mesquite and saguaro deserts. They range from the southwestern United States through Central America and into much of the drier habitats in South America.

DIET: Harris’ Hawks search for their mammal, bird, and reptilian prey from a perch or as they are flying. In some areas, family groups will hunt cooperatively. When hunting larger prey, like jackrabbits, hunting in a group will increase their chance of success.

REPRODUCTION: Harris’ Hawks build stick nests in trees, bushes, cacti, and on man-made structures. The female lays 2 - 4 eggs that are incubated for 33 - 36 days. The young hawks fledge at nearly 6 weeks, but stay close to the nest for an additional 3 - 4 months.

NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name comes from the Greek word para, meaning beside or near, and the Latin words buteo, referring to a kind of hawk; uni meaning once; and cinctus meaning girdled, and refers to the white band at the base of the tail. The bird was named by John James Audubon after his friend Edward Harris. This hawk has also been called a Bay-winged Hawk and Dusky Hawk.

INTERESTING FACTS:

• Harris’ Hawks are social birds. Some of the young will stay with the family unit up to 3 years and help raise subsequent broods and hunt cooperatively with the family.
• Harris' Hawks are popular birds used in the sport of falconry because of their group hunting style.

From the The Peregrine Fund - World Center for Birds of Prey http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/hawks/redtail.html

MEASUREMENTS: The Red-tailed Hawk has a body length of 17 -22 inches, a wingspan of 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 feet,and weighs 1 1/2 - 3 1/4 pounds.

HABITAT: Red-tailed Hawks are found in North America and scattered through Central America and the West Indies. They inhabit open fields and deserts that are interspersed with woods or bluffs, urban areas, mountain forests, and tropical rainforests. Northern birds migrate south during the winter.

DIET: Small to medium-sized mammals, primarily mice, ground squirrels, and jackrabbits, birds, and reptiles are eaten by this hawk. Red-tailed Hawks hunt by swooping down from an elevated perch to seize their prey, snatching birds while flying, or pursuing prey from low level flight. They will also take food from other species. This is called pirating.

REPRODUCTION: This hawk’s stick nest may be found in tall trees, on cliffs, in cactus, or on man-made structures. The female hawk lays 1 - 5 eggs that are incubated for 28 - 35 days. The young hawks fledge about 42 days later and are sexually mature at 2 years of age.

NAME DERIVATION: The scientific name comes from the Latin word buteo, meaning a kind of falcon or hawk, and the Latinized name for Jamaica, West Indies, where the first specimen was collected for study. The common name stems from the fact that most adult Red-tailed Hawks have a brick-red colored tail. This hawk has been called Buzzard, Buzzard Hawk, Hen Hawk, Mouse Hawk, and Red Hawk.

INTERESTING FACTS:

• The Red-tailed Hawk is one of the most widely distributed hawks in North America. There are 14 subspecies of this hawk ranging in color from the pale Krider's morph to the red rufous morph to the dark Harlan's morph. Not every subspecies shows the distinctive red tail.
• Most medium to large-sized birds of prey tend to have long bonds with their mate and will use the same hunting and nesting territory year after year. These birds may have different nests in their territory and will rotate their use from year to year.