Diet
What do red-tailed hawks eat?
Rodents, rabbits, snakes and occasional birds.
Hawks and eagles (Accipitridae)Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
Spring and summer diet
- Voles, mice, ground squirrels and snakes
Fall and winter diet
- Rabbits, squirrels and carrion
Best feeder foods
- None — hunts mammals in open ground
Perches on poles and trees over open yards and fields; keeps rodent numbers down around rural homes.
Where red-tailed hawks need winter food
Regions where red-tailed hawks are present in the cold months:
AlabamaAlbertaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNova ScotiaOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaQuebecRhode IslandSaskatchewanSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Frequently asked
What do red-tailed hawks eat?
Rodents, rabbits, snakes and occasional birds.
What is the best food to feed red-tailed hawks?
None — hunts mammals in open ground.
What do red-tailed hawks eat in winter?
Rabbits, squirrels and carrion.
Sources
- Red-tailed Hawk — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red-tailed Hawk life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Red-tailed Hawk — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.