The hawk is a very graceful, fast and agile bird. Today, there are quite a few varieties of this bird, which differ among themselves not only in appearance, but also in their way of life. In this article you will find a description of hawk species, 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 smart birds.
Quail
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 dark ash color, and the lower one is white and is 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 color in the quail of the eye and feet metatarsus. The long and rounded tail changes color from dark gray to light ash, and its border is snow-white and has five dark hair.
This type of hawk is widespread throughout Asia and Europe. In winter, he leads a nomadic lifestyle and often flies to India and Africa. During the hunt, the hawk hides in the bushes among the fields, and sometimes it can enjoy young poultry, settling near the villages. For nesting, he most often chooses short and dense shrubs or conifers. In mid-spring, the female lays 3 to 5 eggs of a bluish color 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 capture. The length of the wing of the goshawk 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 waxwort is about 2.5 centimeters. This type of predator has special impudence and cruelty. He kills all the birds that he can only catch, tearing from 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. It remains only to assume how much meat the hawk can eat in the wild, because in the conditions of reserves their diet is strictly controlled and normalized.
Lun
This daytime species of hawks has about 22 forms, divided into two genera. Looney try to avoid solid forests and sometimes can nest right on the ground. Such a hawk is quite easy to recognize by the nostrils, which are covered with small bridles, a long and slightly feathered metatarsus, and the "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 moon slowly flies around the territory at a small height above the ground. Depending on the gender and age of the bird, the color of its feathers varies. For example, adult males have a predominantly pale blue or ash gray plumage. But the females and young chicks are painted in reddish and brown tones.
The physique of the moon is very slim and beautiful. 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 lunar 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 the north-west of 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 can have feathering to the very fingers in the front or a plate coating of uniform height. In addition, the tail of the buzzard is much shorter than its wing - 2/3 of the length.
This species of hawk eats gophers, mice and other rodents, which are the main pests of bread and other cultural plantings. Tracking prey takes place during a smooth whirl in the air or motionless waiting on a tree. This species of hawk especially likes to hide in haystacks. In a slow and calm flight, sometimes you can immediately notice 2-3 individuals at once, who emit a peculiar scream that resembles 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 being intensively exterminated, even more actively than malicious representatives. This is explained by the illiteracy of hunters, who often use easy methods for catching birds and the similarity of buzzards to other species of hawk. However, experienced poultry farmers and hunters quite quickly distinguish these birds even at a great distance.
Beetle
A rare species of diurnal hawk is the beetle, 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 the males is lighter and has small brown inclusions, and the female abdomen is more spotty. Stripes at the bottom of the wings have darkened spots at the fold sites. The tail feathers have three strips of transverse direction - 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 beetle can be characterized as a very patient and calm bird: while waiting for its prey, the hawk can be in an uncomfortable position for a long time, for example, with its head outstretched and its wing spread. Beetle is a migratory bird and returns from Africa and Asia to the warmer months. Moreover, the flight of these birds is carried out in groups of 20-40 individuals.
Light hawk
The body length of this bird species does not exceed half a meter, but its wingspan reaches a meter. A rather 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 rainbow. The gray hawk has a bluish or bluish coloration of the head, back and wings, as well as dark transverse stripes in the chest area. The paws and face of the bird are also white. Young individuals have a slightly different color - their occipital part is colored 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. 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 and a small rounded head. Sharp and large claws, as well as a black hooked beak, give this formidable bird a formidable look. In general, the plumage of the bird has a grayish tint, however, the occipital part is colored black, and the abdomen and breast have reddish transverse stripes. The grayish tail has snow-white stripes.
Lifestyle
The hawk is an extremely agile and fast bird, as well as having a lightning fast reaction. Almost all species of this bird lead a daily lifestyle, choosing to hunt in the daytime. Creating a pair 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 which often exceeds several hectares. These birds most often build nests on tall trees, whose height exceeds 15-20 meters. Moreover, during the construction of the nest, the female carefully confuses the tracks leading to it, constantly flying from one tree to another and communicating with the male with the help of certain sounds. By the way, the sound of the 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 switch 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 be hunted no more than once every two days. Incredible vision allows you to track prey at a distance of several kilometers. With a lightning jerk, the hawk rushes at its prey and grabs its powerful paws. But sometimes funny things happen during hunting - 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, which leads a sedentary lifestyle. At the age of one year, puberty begins, when they become ready to create 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, of which one month after laying, chicks hatch. Both partners hatch eggs, and two months after hatching, 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 longer life of the bird.
