The length of time a hawk remains a fledgling depends on the species. In general, hawks fledge between 4-10 weeks after hatching and remain fledglings for 4-10 weeks after leaving the nest. So a hawk is considered a fledgling for about 2-4 months total.
Let’s go over the fledgling period in more detail for some common hawk species:
Red-Tailed Hawk
Red-tailed hawk fledglings leave the nest around 6 weeks old. They will remain dependent fledglings for another 6-10 weeks while learning to hunt with their parents. So red-tails are fledglings for about 3 months total.
Nestling Phase
Red-tailed hawk eggs hatch after about 35 days of incubation. The chicks are covered in white down. They grow quickly and will get their juvenile plumage around 2 weeks old.
At 6 weeks old, the nestlings are ready to fledge. Their wings and legs are fully developed and they are eager to leave the nest.
Fledgling Phase
Newly fledged red-tails are very clumsy fliers at first. They need 6-10 more weeks to master flying, landing, and hunting skills.
The fledglings follow their parents around during this time, returning to the nest only to sleep and get fed by the adults. They learn to tear apart prey and feed themselves.
By 10-14 weeks after hatching, the young red-tails can fly competently, hunt for themselves, and no longer need parental care. They leave the parents’ territory to find their own.
Cooper’s Hawk
Cooper’s hawks fledge about 4-5 weeks after hatching. They remain dependent fledglings for another 4-6 weeks after leaving the nest. So they are fledglings for 8-11 weeks total.
Nestling Phase
Cooper’s hawk eggs hatch after 30-36 days of incubation. The semi-altricial chicks are covered in white down. They grow quickly and get their juvenile feathers around 2 weeks old.
At 4-5 weeks old, the nestlings are ready to fledge. Their wings are fully feathered and their legs have grown strong enough for perching and tearing prey.
Fledgling Phase
Newly fledged Cooper’s hawks are clumsy fliers at first. They need 4-6 more weeks to improve their flying and hunting skills.
The fledglings follow and beg from their parents during this time. The adults tear up captured prey to feed the young. This lets the fledglings practice feeding motions with their beaks and feet.
By 8-11 weeks after hatching, the young Cooper’s hawks can fly strongly, hunt competently, and no longer need parental care. They disperse to establish their own territories.
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Sharp-shinned hawks typically fledge about 4 weeks after hatching. They remain fledglings for around 6 more weeks as they learn to hunt. So they are dependent fledglings for about 10 weeks total.
Nestling Phase
The eggs hatch after 30-35 days of incubation. The semi-altricial chicks have white downy feathers. They grow quickly and get their juvenile plumage by 2 weeks old.
At 28 days old, the nestlings are ready to fledge. Their wings and feet are fully developed for leaving the nest.
Fledgling Phase
Newly fledged sharpies are unsteady and awkward fliers. They need about 6 more weeks to improve their flight skills and learn to hunt successfully.
The fledglings follow the parents closely, begging for food. The adults provide them with plenty of torn-up prey to practice eating on their own.
By 10 weeks after hatching, the young sharpies can fly strongly and hunt competently without parental assistance. They leave to establish new territories.
Red-Shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered hawks fledge about 5-6 weeks after hatching. They remain fledglings for 6-10 more weeks. So the total fledgling period is around 11-16 weeks.
Nestling Phase
The eggs hatch after about 28-35 days of incubation. The semi-altricial chicks have fluffy white down. They start getting juvenile feathers around 2 weeks old.
At 5-6 weeks old, the nestlings are ready to fledge. Their wings and legs are fully developed for flight and perching.
Fledgling Phase
Newly fledged red-shoulders are unsteady fliers requiring 6-10 more weeks to improve their skills. They beg loudly for food from the parents.
The adults provide the fledglings with plenty of torn prey to practice feeding themselves. This helps them become self-sufficient hunters.
By 11-16 weeks after hatching, the young red-shoulders can fly competently, hunt alone, and no longer need parental care. They disperse to new areas.
Rough-Legged Hawk
Rough-legged hawks fledge about 7 weeks after hatching. They remain fledglings for around 9 more weeks, so about 16 weeks total.
Nestling Phase
The eggs hatch after 32-33 days of incubation. The semi-altricial chicks have fluffy white down feathers. They start getting juvenile plumage around 3 weeks old.
At 7 weeks old, the nestlings are ready to fledge. Their wings and feet are fully developed.
Fledgling Phase
Newly fledged rough-legs are clumsy, awkward fliers requiring about 9 more weeks to improve their skills. They beg loudly for food from their parents.
The adults provide ample torn prey for the fledglings to practice feeding themselves. This helps them learn to hunt.
By 16 weeks after hatching, the young rough-legged hawks can fly well, hunt competently alone, and no longer need parental care. They disperse to new areas.
Ferruginous Hawk
Ferruginous hawks fledge around 7-8 weeks after hatching. They remain dependent fledglings for 6-10 more weeks. So they are fledglings for a total of 13-18 weeks.
Nestling Phase
The eggs hatch after 32-33 days of incubation. The semi-altricial chicks have white downy feathers. They start getting juvenile plumage around 3 weeks old.
At 7-8 weeks old, the nestlings are ready to fledge. Their wings and legs are fully developed.
Fledgling Phase
Newly fledged ferruginous hawks are unsteady, clumsy fliers at first. They need 6-10 more weeks to improve their aerial skills and learn to hunt.
The fledglings beg loudly for food. The parents provide them with ample torn prey to practice self-feeding. This teaches them to hunt.
By 13-18 weeks after hatching, the young ferruginous hawks can fly well, hunt alone effectively, and no longer need parental care. They disperse to new territories.
Swainson’s Hawk
Swainson’s hawks fledge around 5-6 weeks after hatching. They remain fledglings for about 8 more weeks, so around 13-14 weeks total.
Nestling Phase
The eggs hatch after 28-32 days of incubation. The semi-altricial chicks have fluffy white down feathers. They start getting juvenile plumage around 2 weeks old.
At 5-6 weeks old, the nestlings are ready to fledge. Their wings and legs are fully developed.
Fledgling Phase
Newly fledged Swainson’s hawks are clumsy, uncoordinated fliers. They need about 8 more weeks to improve their flight skills and learn to hunt.
The fledglings beg loudly for food. The parents provide ample torn prey for them to practice self-feeding. This teaches them to hunt.
By 13-14 weeks after hatching, the young Swainson’s hawks can fly well, hunt alone competently, and no longer need parental care. They leave to establish new territories.
Northern Goshawk
Northern goshawks fledge around 4-5 weeks after hatching. They remain fledglings for 6-12 more weeks, so a total of 10-17 weeks.
Nestling Phase
The eggs hatch after 28-37 days of incubation. The semi-altricial chicks have fluffy white down. They start getting juvenile feathers around 2 weeks old.
At 4-5 weeks old, the nestlings are ready to fledge. Their wings and legs are fully developed.
Fledgling Phase
Newly fledged northern goshawks are unsteady, awkward fliers. They need 6-12 more weeks to improve their flying and hunting skills.
The fledglings beg loudly for food. The parents provide ample torn prey for them to practice self-feeding. This teaches them to hunt.
By 10-17 weeks after hatching, the young northern goshawks can fly well, hunt alone effectively, and no longer need parental care. They disperse to new areas.
Harris’s Hawk
Harris’s hawks fledge around 5-6 weeks after hatching. They remain fledglings for about 8 more weeks, so around 13-14 weeks total.
Nestling Phase
The eggs hatch after 30-36 days of incubation. The semi-altricial chicks have white downy feathers. They start getting juvenile plumage around 2 weeks old.
At 5-6 weeks old, the nestlings are ready to fledge. Their wings and legs are fully developed.
Fledgling Phase
Newly fledged Harris’s hawks are clumsy, awkward fliers requiring about 8 more weeks to improve their skills. They beg noisily for food.
The parents provide ample torn prey for the fledglings to practice self-feeding. This teaches them to hunt.
By 13-14 weeks after hatching, the young Harris’s hawks can fly well, hunt alone competently, and no longer need parental care. They disperse to new territories.
Zone-Tailed Hawk
Zone-tailed hawks fledge around 5-6 weeks after hatching. They remain fledglings for 6-8 more weeks, so about 11-14 weeks total.
Nestling Phase
The eggs hatch after 30-32 days of incubation. The semi-altricial chicks have fluffy white down. They start getting juvenile feathers around 2 weeks old.
At 5-6 weeks old, the nestlings are ready to fledge. Their wings and legs are fully developed.
Fledgling Phase
Newly fledged zone-tails are clumsy, unsteady fliers. They need 6-8 more weeks to improve their flight skills and learn to hunt.
The fledglings beg noisily for food. The parents provide them with ample torn prey to practice self-feeding. This teaches them to hunt.
By 11-14 weeks after hatching, the young zone-tailed hawks can fly well, hunt alone effectively, and no longer need parental care. They disperse to new areas.
Conclusion
In summary, most hawks fledge around 4-7 weeks after hatching, then remain fledglings for another 4-10 weeks learning to fly, hunt, and feed themselves. So the total fledgling period is typically 8-16 weeks, or 2-4 months.
The table below summarizes the fledgling timelines for different hawk species:
Species | Fledge Age | Time as Fledgling | Total Fledgling Period |
---|---|---|---|
Red-Tailed Hawk | 6 weeks | 6-10 weeks | 12-16 weeks |
Cooper’s Hawk | 4-5 weeks | 4-6 weeks | 8-11 weeks |
Sharp-Shinned Hawk | 4 weeks | 6 weeks | 10 weeks |
Red-Shouldered Hawk | 5-6 weeks | 6-10 weeks | 11-16 weeks |
Rough-Legged Hawk | 7 weeks | 9 weeks | 16 weeks |
Ferruginous Hawk | 7-8 weeks | 6-10 weeks | 13-18 weeks |
Swainson’s Hawk | 5-6 weeks | 8 weeks | 13-14 weeks |
Northern Goshawk | 4-5 weeks | 6-12 weeks | 10-17 weeks |
Harris’s Hawk | 5-6 weeks | 8 weeks | 13-14 weeks |
Zone-Tailed Hawk | 5-6 weeks | 6-8 weeks | 11-14 weeks |
The nestling phase where chicks are confined to the nest is generally 4-7 weeks. Once able to fly, the fledgling phase where young hawks learn hunting skills with their parents is another 4-10 weeks. So most hawks remain dependent fledglings for 2-4 months in total before becoming independent juvenile hawks and dispersing from their parents’ territory.