Wild hawks, such as red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and other species, are raptors that hunt small animals like rodents, rabbits, and birds for food. While hawks are excellent hunters, sometimes conditions make it difficult for them to find enough prey. Providing food can help sustain hawks during hard times. However, feeding hawks does require some care and caution.
Should you feed wild hawks?
In general, wildlife experts advise against feeding wild hawks. Hawks are not dependent on humans for food and can meet their needs through hunting. Feeding can make hawks lose their fear of people and become more likely to approach homes and populated areas. This exposes them to dangers like vehicle collisions, pet attacks, and retaliation from people who view them as a threat.
Feeding may also cause nutritional imbalances if hawks fill up on easy food from humans rather than their natural varied diet. It can also increase competition and aggression between hawks congregating in feeding areas. And, it may disrupt hawks’ natural seasonal cycles of migration and reproduction.
However, emergency situations sometimes arise when feeding hawks can be helpful on a temporary basis. For example, if a hawk is recovering from an injury and unable to hunt, feeding it for a short time may give it the strength it needs to recover. Or during severe winter weather when prey is scarce, limited supplemental feeding may help hawks survive until hunting conditions improve.
When is feeding hawks appropriate?
Here are some situations when it may be appropriate to feed hawks:
– An injured or sick hawk that needs assistance recovering before it can hunt again
– Extreme weather events like blizzards, ice storms, or droughts that limit prey availability
– Juvenile hawks while they perfect their hunting skills and transition to independence
– Supplementary feeding of common prey like mice and rats during nesting season to provide extra food for hatchlings
Even in these cases, it’s best to consult a wildlife rehabilitator or biologist first to determine if feeding is truly in the hawk’s best interests. They can also provide advice on proper nutrition, amounts, and techniques.
What types of food can you offer hawks?
Whole prey animals are the most appropriate food for hawks. Hawks are carnivores adapted to hunt live prey. Some suitable options include:
– Frozen/thawed mice, rats, chicks, quail, rabbits, squirrels
– Freshly killed mice, rats, chicks raised as feeders
– Venison, beef, lamb, goat, buffalo or other red meat cut into strips
– Whole fish like herring or trout (for ospreys)
It’s important to never give hawks rotting, diseased, or decayed meat which could make them sick. And always avoid processed meats like hot dogs or lunch meat which have unnecessary salts, sugars, and preservatives.
What feeding techniques are best?
When temporary supplementary feeding is necessary, some guidelines will help minimize risks:
– Feed only enough to sustain the hawk, not unlimited amounts which encourage over-reliance
– Provide food on a random, sporadic schedule rather than routinely
– Offer food away from homes, roads, and areas with pets or livestock
– Distribute feedings over a wide area rather than concentrated in one spot
– Place food discreetly on an elevated platform or hidden, to avoid attracting many hawks to one area
– Avoid letting hawks see you distributing food so they don’t associate people with feeding
– Don’t put out contaminated, spoiled, or otherwise harmful foods
Following these precautions, while keeping feeding limited and temporary, can allow you to safely provide supplementary food when hawks are unable to hunt enough prey on their own.
What Do Hawks Like to Eat?
Hawks are carnivorous birds of prey that mostly feed on small animals such as rodents, reptiles, amphibians and other birds. Hawks have a keen eyesight to spot potential prey from high vantage points. Once spotted, they swoop down swiftly to catch their prey with their sharp talons.
Here are some of the main types of prey that different hawk species like to eat:
Small Mammals
Small rodents like mice, voles, rats, chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits are a staple for most hawks. These nimble, ground-dwelling mammals are abundant in many ecosystems, making them easy targets for hunting hawks. Species like the red-tailed hawk and Cooper’s hawk are especially dependent on small mammal prey.
Reptiles and Amphibians
Snakes, lizards, frogs, salamanders, and turtles are favored by some hawks species that hunt in areas where these cold-blooded animals are common. For example, Harris’s hawks in the American southwest frequently eat snakes like rattlesnakes. Other hawk species may opportunistically feed on reptiles and amphibians but do not specifically target them.
Birds
Other birds make up the primary diet of specialized bird-hunting hawks like the sharp-shinned hawk and Cooper’s hawk. Fast agile flyers, they use surprise attacks to capture songbirds, pigeons, doves, woodpeckers, and other avian prey while aloft. Larger hawks may also prey on ducks, grouse, quail, and pheasants.
Insects
While not their main prey, some hawks like the broad-winged hawk will eat large insects like grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles, dragonflies, and moths. Insects provide an important source of protein for nestlings while still developing hunting skills.
Carrion
Most hawks prefer to hunt live prey. However, carrion, or dead and decaying animals, can supplement their diet. Vultures compete strongly for carrion, but hawks will scavenge opportunistically on occasion. This includes roadkill or remains of large animals killed by other predators.
The availability of these prey animals drives hawks’ habitat preferences and hunting behavior. Understanding what hawks like to eat helps us study their ecological roles as predators. It also points to how we can support hawk conservation by protecting their habitat and prey.
What Do Different Hawk Species Eat?
There are over 60 hawk species worldwide that occupy diverse habitats and show specific adaptations for hunting different types of prey. Here is an overview of the diets of some of the most common North American hawks:
Hawk Species | Preferred Prey |
---|---|
Red-Tailed Hawk | Small mammals like mice, voles, ground squirrels; also snakes, lizards, rabbits, large insects, small birds |
Sharp-Shinned Hawk | Small songbirds like sparrows, finches, warblers caught in flight |
Cooper’s Hawk | Small- to medium-sized birds; also rodents, rabbits |
Northern Goshawk | Squirrels, grouse, ptarmigan, rabbits, hares; also smaller birds, reptiles |
Bald Eagle | Fish and waterfowl are primary prey; also small mammals, carrion |
Broad-Winged Hawk | Small mammals, frogs, reptiles, large insects; also small birds |
Swainson’s Hawk | Mice, voles, ground squirrels, rabbits, large insects, reptiles |
Red-Shouldered Hawk | Small mammals, amphibians, reptiles; also birds, crayfish, large insects |
This overview shows the diversity of foods different hawks evolved to hunt. Even within a shared habitat, hawk species minimize competition by having different specialty prey. Understanding their key foods also reveals the hunting habitats they prefer from woodlands to marshes to open grasslands. Protecting these ecosystems and maintaining healthy prey populations are important for hawk conservation.
What Do Hawks Eat in Cities and Human Areas?
Several hawk species like red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s hawks, and American kestrels have adapted successfully to live in close proximity to humans in urban and suburban areas. These hawks take advantage of ample prey opportunities.
Common urban and suburban prey for hawks includes:
Rodents
Rats, mice, voles, and squirrels tend to thrive around human structures and gardens, making them abundant targets for urban hawks. Pigeons may also provide a substantial food source.
Pets
Hawks may opportunistically grab unattended small pets, like rabbits, guinea pigs, kittens, and puppies. Owners should use care when letting pets outside where hawks may be hunting.
Backyard Birds
Feeders and birdbaths draw songbirds into backyards, providing hunting opportunities for hawk species that prey on smaller birds. Sparrows, doves, finches, wrens, and woodpeckers are vulnerable.
Reptiles and Amphibians
Urban green spaces like parks and gardens host insects, frogs, lizards, snakes, and turtles which provide food for some hawks.
Carrion
Like in rural areas, hawks will scavenge on roadkill and animals killed by vehicles when the opportunity arises.
Human food waste and litter does not provide natural nutrition for hawks. But they may eat discarded food scraps if extremely hungry.
Overall, hawks are skillful at exploiting rodents, birds, and other prey concentrated near people. This helps them flourish even in developed areas.
What is the Best Diet and Nutrition for Hawks?
In the wild, hawks maintain a balanced diet by hunting a variety of small animals. The key elements of a healthy natural diet for hawks include:
Whole Prey Animals
Eating their prey whole provides not just meat protein but also vital organ tissues like liver, heart, and kidneys. Bones give essential calcium, and feathers provide roughage.
Variety
Hunting diverse types of small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians ensures hawks get a mix of nutrients. Different prey species have varying proportions of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals.
Fresh Food
Prey caught and consumed right away delivers optimal nutrition. Hawks avoid spoiled decaying carcasses when possible.
Water
While they get moisture from prey, hawks also drink fresh water regularly for hydration.
Supplements from Vegetation
While not significant plant eaters, hawks may ingest vegetation like grass, seeds, berries, and nectar that offer carbohydrates and phytonutrients.
When nursing young, adult hawks alter their diet composition to support the needs of growing nestlings. More easily digestible prey like small birds and soft-bodied amphibians help satisfy increased demand for protein and calcium.
In captivity, hawks may receive formulated diets or feeder animals to approximate their natural nutrition. Careful supplementation with vitamins and minerals is often necessary. Maintaining variety and freshness is also important.
Overall the best hawk diet mirrors their evolution as predators of diverse small game. Supporting their natural feeding ecology is key to managing both captive and wild hawks.
Special Considerations for Feeding Hawk Chicks
Parent hawks have an especially challenging task feeding their chicks, which have unique dietary requirements while growing rapidly:
High Calorie
Hawk chicks need energy-dense food to fuel growth. Parents selective hunt fattier prey or remove inedible feathers before serving chicks.
High Protein
Protein for muscle development comes from prey meat. Chicks get a greater proportion of meat than adult hawks.
Calcium
Bones from whole prey provide calcium for proper bone development. Parents may preferentially feed bone-rich items.
Iron
Chicks need iron to produce hemoglobin for red blood cells. Parents selectively feed iron-rich prey organs like liver, heart, kidneys.
Frequent Meals
Chicks eat frequently, often multiple times per hour at young ages. Parents deliver small meals continuously.
Easy to Digest
Chicks’ developing digestive systems handle soft prey like eggs, young rabbits, nestling birds better than adults.
Cut in Pieces
Parents tear prey in bite-sized pieces for easy swallowing. Chicks may have difficulty handling whole animals.
Meeting these nutritional demands while also protecting and teaching young is an impressive parenting accomplishment for raptors like hawks. It ensures chicks grow into successful hunters.
What Do You Feed an Injured or Orphaned Hawk?
Sick, injured, or orphaned juvenile hawks often need specialized temporary care that includes an appropriate diet. Guidelines exist for rehabilitating hawks until they can be released back to the wild:
Consult an Expert
Licensed wildlife rehabilitators have experience and legal permits for handling raptor care. Follow their diet guidance.
Whole Prey Items
Feed mice, chicks, quail, or other small animals. Provide bones, feathers, and organs.
Ensure Proper Nutrition
Balance proteins, fats, carbs, vitamins. Weigh birds and adjust diet.
Offer Food Multiple Times Daily
Young hawks eat frequently. Feed every few hours based on response.
Cut Food Bite-Sized
Chop prey in pieces for easier eating. Observe appetite and digestion.
Transition to Self Feeding
As strength returns, offer live prey for hawk to practice killing.
Provide Clean Water
Fresh drinking water aids recovery. Monitor hydration.
Support Return to the Wild
Work toward hawk achieving full health, stamina, and hunting ability to be released.
With proper nutrition and care, most injured or orphaned hawks can successfully return to their natural wild environment and feeding habits.
Can You Feed Hawks in Your Backyard?
Some people enjoy seeing hawks visit their yards and put out food hoping to attract them. While well-meaning, feeding hawks carries risks and involves regulations. Some key considerations include:
It’s Illegal
Laws like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibit feeding hawks without permits. Fines for violations can be up to $15,000.
Can Cause Dependency
Feeding may lead hawks to lose natural fear and hunting skills, leaving them unable to survive in the wild.
Risks Health Problems
Improper foods and contamination can make hawks sick. They may associate people with food, putting them in danger.
Encourages Aggression
Competing hawks may attack each other over concentrated backyard food, leading to injuries.
Creates Nuisance Animals
Accustomed hawks may cause damage or show bold behavior towards people, pets, livestock, and property.
Disrupts Migration
Easy food could impact timing of migration and readiness for long journeys.
Can Harm Native Wildlife
Predation pressure on songbirds, rabbits, squirrels and other prey may increase around feeders.
While problematic, there are legal ways to enjoy hawks through providing good habitat, placing nest boxes, gardening to attract prey, and thoughtfully designed landscapes. But feeding requires a rehabilitation license. Enjoy hawks naturally and responsibly.
Conclusion
Hawks are skilled, self-sufficient predators that should not rely on human food sources. While it’s appealing to get an up-close look by feeding hawks, this risks harming their health and natural behaviors that allow them to thrive. With some emergency exceptions, it’s best to avoid feeding hawks and maintain an appropriate distance to simply observe and appreciate these amazing raptors in the wild. Supporting hawk conservation means protecting their diverse habitats and prey sources so feeding by humans is never necessary. Whether soaring, perching, and diving after food, hawks in their natural element embody a vital elegance we are privileged to witness.