Harris's Hawk

birds of prey · hunters · teamwork

Super smart hunters. Harris's hawks are one of the few hawks that hunt together in groups, working as a team to catch rabbits, squirrels, and other prey. They dive at animals from different angles so their target has nowhere to escape.

Spread across the Americas. These hawks live from the southwestern United States down through Central and South America, all the way to Chile and Argentina. Different populations have slightly different looks and are sometimes called by different names.

Dark feathers and rusty tails. Harris's hawks have mostly dark brown and black feathers with a distinctive rusty or chestnut-colored tail and bright yellow feet. This coloring helps them blend into desert landscapes where many of them live.

Desert and brushy homes. These hawks prefer open and semi-open habitats like deserts, grasslands, and scrublands where they can spot prey from far away. They build their nests in tall trees, yucca plants, or even abandoned nests of other birds.