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Hawks
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Length: between 17 and 24 inches
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Wingspan: about 45 inches.
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Diet - mainly rodents like woodrats
and ground squirrels, but also takes birds including
ducks, quail, doves and even rails and gallinules. They
may occasionally take reptiles and carrion. In certain
regions of Mexico, their primary food is lizards.
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Hawks are strong, powerful birds. Their feet are equipped with sharp,
curved talons for capturing prey, and their strong beaks are hooked
for biting and tearing flesh. Swift fliers, some hawks can attain
speeds of over 150 miles per hour when diving. Some species undertake
long migrational journeys, traveling thousands of miles each year
- a testimony to their strength and stamina.Their sense of hearing
is excellent, and their eyesight is the best in the entire animal
world. Not only can hawks see greater distances than humans, but their
visual acuity (the ability to see clearly) is eight times that of
ours. Hawks also see in color. "Hawk" is a general term
used to describe the entire group of diurnal ("active by day")
predatory birds. Worldwide there are approximately 270 species of
carnivorous birds that comprise the order Falconiformes - the scientific
name for hawk. All are classified as birds of prey, or raptors..Although
all hawks have certain basic similarities such as keen eyesight, hooked
beaks and taloned feet, a wide diversity of forms exists among them.
For instance, an American Kestrel weights only 4 ounces, while a Bald
Eagle can weigh 13 pounds - 52 times as much. |
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| Bird rescue & bird adoption;
parrot refuge/rescue & placement for unwanted birds. |
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| Check out our list of local
birds broken down by your state and different types of
species. |
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| Migrating birds stay on track
because of chemical reactions in their bodies that are
influenced by the Earth's magnetic field... |
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Part
I
March
3, 2006