The hawk is a very graceful, fast and agile bird. To date, there are quite a few varieties of this bird, which differ from each other not only in appearance, but also in their way of life. In this article you will find a description of the species of hawks, as well as basic information about this bird. Today we will tell you about their lifestyle, nutrition and reproduction. In addition to describing the species and names of hawks, we will share with you interesting and reliable facts about these incredibly beautiful and intelligent birds.
Sparrowhawk
This type of hawk breaks up into less pronounced races and has a wing length of 19 to 26 centimeters, and a tail length of 15 to 19 centimeters. The total height of the body does not exceed 40 centimeters. The upper part of the body is painted in a dark ash color, and the lower part is white and decorated with transverse wavy lines of a rusty hue. The main color of the beak is blue, and the membrane has a yellowish tint and a waxy surface, a slightly lighter yellow insparrowhawk eyes and metatarsals. The long and rounded tail changes its color from dark gray to light ash, and its edging is snow-white and has five dark hairs.
This type of hawk is widespread throughout Asia and Europe. In winter, he leads a nomadic life and often flies to India and Africa. During the hunt, the hawk hides in the bushes among the fields, and sometimes it can feast on young poultry, settling near the villages. For nesting, it most often chooses low and dense shrubs or coniferous trees. In mid-spring, the female lays 3 to 5 bluish eggs with small brownish spots. The size of such eggs does not exceed 3.5 centimeters.
Goshawk
The most harmful and cunning type of hawk, which is quite difficult to catch. The length of the goshawk wing varies from 29 to 38 centimeters, the tail - from 23 to 29 centimeters, the height of the metatarsus does not exceed 8.5 centimeters, and the beak from the cere is about 2.5 centimeters. This type of predator has a special audacity and cruelty. He kills all the birds he can catch, tearing them apart with tenacious claws. Even in captivity, in the summer, he eats about 600 grams of weight, and in winter, this rate doubles, which significantly exceeds his own weight. One can only guess how much meat a hawk can eat in the wild, because in the conditions of reserves their diet is strictly controlled and regulated.
Lun
Thisthe diurnal species of hawks has about 22 forms, subdivided into two genera. Harriers try to avoid continuous forests and can sometimes nest right on the ground. Such a hawk is quite easy to recognize by its nostrils, which are covered with small bridles, a long and slightly feathered metatarsus, and a "collar". A narrow strip of short and very dense feathers separates the ears, cheeks and throat from the rest of the body.
In search of prey, the harrier slowly flies around the territory at a small height above the ground. Depending on the sex and age of the bird, the color of its feathers varies. For example, adult males are predominantly pale blue or ash gray in plumage. But females and young chicks are painted in reddish and brown tones.
The harrier's physique is very slim and handsome. A curved black beak, wide and long wings, a long and rounded tail - all this in combination forms a graceful and very beautiful bird. The harrier's diet consists of insects, mice and other small rodents, and sometimes includes eggs and young chicks of small birds. This species of hawk lives in northwestern Russia.
Buzzard
Very large birds with about 80 forms, divided into 10 genera. You can meet buzzards on all continents except Australia. In our country, there are two genera, which can be distinguished by the appearance of the metatarsus. It may be feathered down to the toes in the front, or a lamellar covering of uniform height. In addition, the buzzard's tail is much shorter than its wing - 2/3 of the length.
This species of hawk feeds on gophers,mice and other rodents, which are the main pests of bread and other cultural plantings. Tracking of prey takes place while smoothly circling in the air or motionless waiting on a tree. This type of hawk especially likes to hide in haystacks. In a slow and calm flight, sometimes you can notice 2-3 individuals at once, which emit a peculiar cry, reminiscent of a hissing whistle.
Buzzards most often live in pairs and fly away for the winter in September - October. Unfortunately, despite the general benefit of these birds, they are intensively exterminated, even more actively than harmful representatives. This is explained by the illiteracy of hunters, who often use easy methods of preying birds and the similarity of buzzards with other varieties of hawks. However, experienced poultry farmers and hunters quickly distinguish these birds even at a great distance.
Honeycomb
A rare species of diurnal hawk is the honey buzzard, whose two subspecies (common and crested) are most often found in our country. The main feature of the appearance of this bird is its size - the wingspan of this hawk sometimes reaches a meter. In addition, its color is quite diverse - the upper body of the female has a dark brown color, while the male has a dark gray color. The lower part of the body of males is lighter and has small brown blotches, while the abdomen of females is more spotted. The wings, striped at the bottom, have dark spots at the folds. The tail feathers have three transverse stripes - two at the base and one at the end.
The name of this rare species of hawk was given for a reason - its diet consists of stinging insects. The honey buzzard can be characterized as a very patient and calm bird: while waiting for its prey, the hawk can stay in an uncomfortable position for a long time, for example, with its head stretched out and its wing spread. The honey buzzard is a migratory bird and returns from Africa and Asia for the warm season. Moreover, these birds fly in groups of 20-40 individuals.
Light hawk
The body length of this species of bird does not exceed half a meter, but its wingspan reaches a meter. A fairly rare species of hawk has two types of morphs: white and gray. The white variety of the hawk has a completely snow-white plumage, yellow legs and a reddish iris. The gray hawk has a bluish or bluish coloration of the head, back and wings, as well as dark transverse stripes in the breast area. The paws and muzzle of the bird are also painted white. Juveniles have a slightly different color - their occiput is brown, and the rest of the body is grayish. This species of hawk can be found in the humid forests and jungles of Australia and Tasmania.
Striped Hawk
The striped hawk is found exclusively in North America and is the smallest species of this bird. The body length of males does not exceed 27 centimeters, and females - 34 centimeters. At the same time, the weight of the hawk varies from 87 to 214 grams. The striped hawk is found in Venezuela and Argentina. This bird has a rather short tail andsmall rounded head. The formidable appearance of this medium-sized bird is given by sharp and large claws, as well as a black hooked beak. In general, the plumage of the bird has a grayish tint, but the back of the head is black, and the abdomen and breast have reddish transverse stripes. The tail is grayish in color with snow-white stripes.
Lifestyle
A hawk is an extremely agile and fast bird, and also has a lightning fast reaction. Almost all species of this bird are diurnal, getting out to hunt during daylight hours. Creating a couple for procreation, the male and female choose their partners once and for life. In addition, such a pair has its own territory, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich often exceeds several hectares. These birds often build nests on tall trees, the height of which exceeds 15-20 meters. Moreover, when building a nest, the female carefully confuses the traces leading to it, constantly flying from one tree to another and communicating with the male using certain sounds. By the way, the sound of a hawk resembles a combination of scream and low vibration.
Food
The hawk is a bird of prey, and therefore its diet consists almost entirely of food of animal origin. Young birds feed on larvae, insects, frogs and rodents. Older individuals move on to larger prey in the form of pheasants, rabbits, squirrels and hares. Thanks to a special "bag" in the stomach of the hawk, which stores part of the food, the bird can hunt no more than once every two days. Incredible vision allows you to track prey from a distanceseveral kilometers. With a lightning jerk, the hawk rushes at its prey and grabs it with powerful paws. But sometimes funny cases happen during the hunt - due to excessive concentration on the victim, the hawk may not notice obstacles in its path and crash into a house, train or tree.
Reproduction and longevity
The hawk is considered a monogamous bird that leads a sedentary lifestyle. At the age of one year, puberty begins, when they become ready to start a family. The mating season depends on the geographical location, but on average it takes place in the second half of spring. Every year, the female brings from 2 to 8 eggs, from which chicks hatch a month after laying. Both partners incubate the eggs, and already two months after hatching, the young hawks are ready for independent life and leave the nest. In the natural environment, hawks live for 10-15 years, but in captivity there are cases of a longer bird life.
Interesting facts
Do you know that:
- A hawk's visual acuity is 8 times higher than a human's;
- these birds are found everywhere except Antarctica;
- female hawks are much larger than males;
- flight speed during hunting can reach two hundred and forty kilometers per hour;
- in the Middle Ages, hawks were used to ransom hostages;
- all hawks except the palm vulture are carnivorous.
