BIRD OF THE MONTH: FERRUGINOUS HAWK

The Ferruginous Hawk is found in prairies, deserts and open range of the West. Its species name is regalis and it really is regal being the largest of all North American hawks. It has a unique gray head, rich rusty shoulders and legs and gleaming white underparts.
This hawk is an open-country bird that breeds in grasslands, sagebrush country, shrub lands and edges of pinyon-juniper forests.
Its diet consists of small mammals such as rabbits, ground squirrels, prairie dogs and pocket gophers. Occasionally it will eat reptiles, amphibians, insects and birds. It will hunt any time of day using four methods: standing on the ground and striking, detecting prey from a nearby perch, searching on the wing, and hovering (kiting) in place.
Both the male and female Ferruginous Hawk build the nest. The male brings the material and the female constructs it. The nest is made of sticks, twigs, metal and plastic debris and sometimes, bones. It often measures 3 feet high and 3 feet across. It may be lined with cow dung, sod and bark that the female strips from trees. They usually finish the nest within a week but if they are disrupted, they may abandon the site and choose a new one.
The Ferruginous Hawk is usually found alone or in pairs but in winter they may hunt within a few feet of each other and roost in groups of 6 - 12. It seems to be a monogamous bird and some may keep their pair bond throughout the year. Courting pairs soar in wide circles and the male "sky dances" by repeatedly diving and ascending. The pair may then grasp beaks and talons and spiral toward the ground.This hawk will often share habitat with the Swainson's Hawk and Red-tailed Hawk.
Other cool facts about the Ferruginous Hawk:
- In winter, groups of 5 - 10 Ferruginous Hawks congregate in prairie dog towns, striking prey as it emerges. They threaten each other by hopping and flapping their wings, creating a feeding frenzy that may attract more Ferruginous Hawks, Golden Eagles and Bald Eagles.
- When bison roamed the west, the nests of these birds often contained bison bones and hair.
- The bulky sticks are not easily woven into the nest so they often build on the remains of pre-existing hawk or crow nests.
- Ferruginous Hawks and Rough-legged Hawks (and the Golden Eagle) are the only American hawks to have feathered legs all the way down to their toes.
- Ferruginous means rust-colored and refers to the reddish back and legs of light-morph birds. Light morphs are more common than dark morphs.
- The Upland Buzzard of Central Asia rivals the Ferruginous Hawk in size and may be a close relative from the days of the Alaska-Siberia land bridge.
- Ferruginous Hawk fossils are found across the west and date back to the late Pleistocene.
- The oldest Ferruginous Hawk on record was at least 23 years, 8 months old when it was found in Nevada in 2006.