Red-tailed Hawk in June
Where red-tailed hawks are in June, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
June in the Red-tailed Hawk's year
June is the height of the nesting season. Most resident and migrant species are raising young, migration is essentially over, and bird activity peaks at dawn. By late June the first fledglings of the year are everywhere — clumsy, loud, and constantly begging.
For the Red-tailed Hawk specifically, June is a summer month inside the nesting season — one of the most active and demanding periods of this bird's year. Across the 58 states and provinces where red-tailed hawks occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.
Where red-tailed hawks are in June
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- year-round resident
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In June, red-tailed hawks are absent in the South, year-round resident across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.
Nesting in June
June is inside the Red-tailed Hawk nesting season — about a month earlier in the South and a month later in the North. Nest: large stick nest high in a tree or on a ledge. Clutch 1–5 eggs, incubation 28–35 days, 1 per season.
The southern nesting season has already wound down, but northern pairs are still raising young — the whole season shifts later as you go north. During the nesting months, adults switch to protein-rich foods for their young, become more secretive around the nest site, and often visit feeders in quick, purposeful trips rather than lingering.
What to feed in June
- Voles, mice, ground squirrels and snakes
Perches on poles and trees over open yards and fields; keeps rodent numbers down around rural homes.
Expect to see adults carrying food away rather than eating it — they're feeding nestlings. Fledglings visiting feeders with their parents are a June highlight.
Full Red-tailed Hawk diet guide → · Best feeder for red-tailed hawks →
Watching red-tailed hawks this month
In June, the best watching is around food rather than the nest — adults make repeated foraging trips and are most visible at dawn and dusk. Give nesting birds space: if a bird is carrying food or scolding you persistently, you're close to a nest and should back off.
The state guides below show exactly where in your region red-tailed hawks are expected this month and which native plants hold them in a yard.
Red-tailed Hawk month by month
Red-tailed Hawk by state
Frequently asked
Where are red-tailed hawks in June?
In June, red-tailed hawks are absent in the South, year-round resident across mid-latitudes and absent in the North.
Do red-tailed hawks nest in June?
Yes — June falls inside the Red-tailed Hawk nesting season at mid-latitudes (a month earlier in the South).
What do red-tailed hawks eat in June?
Voles, mice, ground squirrels and snakes.
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.